Rijk Zwaan has announced that it has this week launched a new subsidiary in India, Rijk Zwaan India Seeds Pvt Ltd, that it hopes will optimise operations in the country's produce market through collaborations with distributors and local research and development activities.
The group is looking to build on the successful market position it has built in India in gherkins, by focusing on products such as melons, cucumbers, peppers, cauliflower and beetroot.
The Indian subsidiary will be headed up by general manager Venkatagiri Haregoppa, who will oversee the head office in Bangalore and a number of trial fields that the group has at its disposal for selection purposes.
'The Indian market is characterised by its huge market potential, but also by the large number of small nurseries,' said Hans Bouman, area manager for Rijk Zwaan. 'By developing a clever distribution network we want to keep the lines to growers as short as possible.
'In the first instance we want to focus in particular on supporting regional distributors and screening of our present variety range,' he added. 'Over time we want to invest increasingly in breeding activities, so that we can start developing specific varieties for the Indian vegetable market.'
