Dutch vegetable seed specialist Rijk Zwaan has launched a new demonstration facility in Canada that allows customers to sample products destined for the North American market.
The RZ Tomato Demo Greenhouse, located in Leamington, Ontario, is designed to encourage customers to view, taste and assess the group's tomato range.
It is the third Rijk Zwaan facility of its kind, similar to central facilities already up and running in the Netherlands and Spain.
The new demo facility is aimed primarily at customers from the US and Canada, and many clients from these countries attended an opening ceremony on 20 June.
More than 100 farmers and owners of major growing companies took a look around the high-tech greenhouse at the launch, gaining an insight into Rijk Zwaan’s extensive tomato range which includes coarse truss tomatoes, grape tomatoes, specialties and cocktail tomatoes.
At the demo facility, each variety’s progress is monitored, with Rijk Zwaan specialists recording technical data and assessing the varieties based on taste and quality – ultimately enabling customers to properly assess the possibilities offered by all varieties.
“The trial results also provide Rijk Zwaan with a wealth of useful information,” said Marleen van der Torre, advisor for greenhouse crops. “By testing the varieties at the demo facility under conditions comparable with local climates, we can make a realistic estimation of how they will perform in practice. This enables us to tailor our range to fully meet the needs and wishes of North American growers, retailers and consumers alike.”
