Rijk Zwaan is a company that covers a whole range of different seed vegetable operations, and the tomato category is one that features prominently. The group boasts sales activities for tomatoes in more than 100 countries worldwide, has 30 subsidiaries for the fruit in 27 nations, and operates 20 individual breeding stations.
“For all markets, we count on being part of the tomato supply chain, and we make efforts to optimise the chain as much as we can as a breeding company,” explains Johan Vis, marketing specialist for tomatoes at Rijk Zwaan. “For example, we help our growers by introducing special new varieties step by step, without flooding the market. We also help growers by creating marketing concepts that enable them to communicate sales arguments to their customers.”
According to Vis, the company has looked to develop the tomato segment through extending its sales and breeding activities globally – an approach that is becoming more visibly obvious with time. “Our aim has always been to grow tomatoes with a ‘local’ approach,” he notes. “This means there are more varieties to choose from, not only sourced from more mature markets where our bases are located, but also taken from emerging markets. We ensure that we are always constantly in contact with our local chain partners.”
And in these varieties being developed and sourced, what characteristics are most crucial for Rijk Zwaan and its customers? Quite simply, it depends on the market being targeted, says Vis. “In new markets the goal is more to ‘join the game’, with better quality, yields and resistances, occasionally supported by concepts that fit to the local supply chain. For the more mature markets, we aim to make contributions to global and local trends. We collect these varieties in special ranges we call product lines, like Convenience, Organic and Sensational Traditions.
“A new variety that fits perfectly in our Sensational Snacks product line is a sweet pear-shaped snack tomato,” he continues. “This variety makes a very nice contribution to pick-and-mix concepts and snack medleys. For our Sensational Flavours product line, we used a trait we call Internal Red – these varieties look lovely, are deep red with a nice red core and they taste even better. In essence, they are ‘visibly tastier’.”
Aside from varietal alternatives, the difference between the demands of mature and emerging markets can also be seen in the traits driving consumption – be that healthy properties of the fruit, taste, or other factors.
“What is ‘health’?” Vis enquires. “Tomatoes with no residues detected, or tomatoes with an above-average quantity of healthy ingredients? In mature markets, a tomato is generally seen as ‘healthy’ regardless, so shoppers are driven by a preference for a nice-looking, great-tasting tomato. The amount of lycopene or vitamins is not the most important aspect. In our Sensational Ingredients product line, we communicate the lycopene content of our tomatoes, but we definitely make no health claims. Emerging markets, meanwhile, are better helped by the development of stronger plants that offer greater resistance.”
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