Continuous scouting
“Together with my brothers Rochus and Dirk, I’ve been producing organic tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and aubergines on 48,000 m2 since 2004. We work fully organically. We chose the Sirjansland location here in Zeeland because of the light clay soil, deep groundwater and absence of other horticultural companies. There’s no danger of chemical agents being blown onto our crops by the wind.”
“We truly believe in organic production, but it must also be profitable, which is why our company is tightly run. The biggest challenge is keeping diseases and pests in check. That calls for continuous scouting and the maximum use of natural enemies. We’re right on top of things.”
Great stamina
“The Wasino RZ plum truss tomato first caught our eye back in 2010, during the Rijk Zwaan trials, because of its superior flavour, the slightly larger and firm fruits of 35 grams, its distinctive shape, attractive trusses and consistent growth. In addition to that, for production in soil it is important that Wasino RZ has a lot of stamina and an extensive set of resistances against disease so that the plant is resilient. When we brought the variety to the attention of the people at Eosta they thought it was a great idea.”
Retailers can set themselves apart
“We consult with Eosta to decide how much of each variety we should produce. Because the organic market is smaller than traditionally produced crops, it’s important to organise the sales side of things well. This is our third year of growing Wasino RZ, which we supply from late March to mid-December - and with success. Customer feedback is very positive. Wasino RZ is sold as Pomodorini in many European countries: Sweden, Belgium, Germany, the UK. And it’s exclusive to just one retailer per country, so that they can set themselves apart.”
For more information, please contact:
Rijk Zwaan Zaadteelt en Zaadhandel B.V.
Tel: +31 174 53 23 00
info@rijkzwaan.com
www.rijkzwaan.com
www.rijkzwaan.com/story/