Seed specialist Hazera has revealed that it has been making further inroads into the Spanish vegetable seed market through its local subsidiary, located in the region of Almería.
According to Hazera, it is currently in the midst of launching a whole range of varieties that are specially cultivated for the Spanish market.
Commercial director for southern Europe and Israel, Zion Barel, noted that the Spanish vegetable market is one of the largest in the world, with an annual turnover of €250m, with 90 per cent of its produce marketed overseas.
The Spanish market is one of the most profitable businesses for seed companies, that invest heavily in order to retain their market shares. The Spanish market is considered a world leader, since it supplies most of Europe's fresh produce. This leading position is due to its accessibility and its unique climate, which facilitates cultivation during seasons that are problematic for the rest of Europe.
Hazera is introducing new tomato varieties which are now joining its existing offering. These are Marchante, based on the high quality Canario strain with its large firm fruit and extra-long shelf life suitable for the Spanish growers, Nicolate, a Roma winter tomato with the highest yields of all its competitors, Corrador, a very high quality beef tomato and Abascal, a cluster tomato.
The group is also expanding its pepper offerings with new varieties, such as Ochoymedio, a red blocky pepper with perfect colouring and shape, and Clavero, which is extremely well suited for hot climate cultivation.
Hazera has also embarked upon a new product segment in Spain - Dutch cucumbers, an area that has been studied extensively over recent years, with cultivation of several dedicated cucumber varieties over the past five years including Batallon and Sacratif.
In addition to extending its operations and increasing its sales staff, Hazera has begun to market Crucifers such as cauliflower and radish, that until recently were distributed by Hazera's sister company Vilmorin. The group is also in the midst of a long day onion cultivation programme, and is taking measures to regroup all its assets under a single roof - Hazera España.
Barel stated: “In everything we do, the person we always keep in mind is the farmer, with our role being to adapt our products, i.e. the seeds, to the local climate and market requirements. At the same time, we are looking at the fresh produce supply chain and its requirements, together with our partners, all the way down to the consumer.”
