Did you know pepper Maccabi is one of Hazera’s most well-known varieties worldwide? This pepper is one of the first pepper varieties in the world, which- thanks to its long shelf life- is sold truly red for the fresh market, which was innovative at the time. Launched in the 1970’s in the USA and Mexico, Maccabi is still a main player and is being sold to this day.
Today, Hazera’s pepper portfolio is the result of years of intensive research and development to create sweet pepper varieties of all types.
We are inspired by nature. We want our crops to be as healthy as possible. In our development process we focus on new solutions, breeding disease free crops to strengthen the global food system.
Hardness and skin firmness in onions crucial for retail, especially during shortages
Posted on Apr 25, 2024
In a year of challenging growing conditions, the quality of onions is an important concern for growers, processors, and breeders.Lindert Moerdijk, Sales Director at MSP Onions, and André Boot, Senior Onion Specialist at Hazera, focus on hardness and skin firmness, whilst emphasizing the importance of collaboration. “Those aiming to deliver quality must look ahead.”
“We faced a late sowing, followed by a hot summer with sunburn issues and a harvest with weather conditions that negatively impacted the internal quality of the onions”, André sums up the past year. “As a result, nearly every batch of onions has internal rot,” Lindert adds. “But our biggest challenge is internal sprouting. Due to the dry summer, conditions for MH spraying weren’t ideal, resulting in sprouting.”
“The times in which we viewed onions as a conventional arable crop are over. You must treat them as horticultural crops, directly catering to their needs. This way, you strive to create ideal conditions and thereby achieve consistent growth”, Lindert says. However, he acknowledges that growers can’t solve everything. “Solving internal sprouting requires substantial investments. Then the question arises: what do we expect from the climate in the next 10 years, how does this affect growing conditions, and can we anticipate it?”
Investing in quality
With their optical sorting machine, MSP Onions proves that forward-thinking pays off in the mutable onion industry. “By investing early on, we are now one of the few processors with an optical sorter that can be programmed for quality. This enables us to process almost every batch and deliver the right hardness and skin firmness,” Lindert explains. He sees this position being reflected in the demand. “We must work nights to meet demand. The decreasing quality of onions across Europe is evident from the fact that we’ve been supplying to other European countries since November. That’s unusually early. This also presents opportunities for Dutch growers.”
MSP’s optical sorting machine enables them to deliver the right hardness and skin firmness
Hard and firm
“In the current market, even with overcapacity, shortages exist for onions that meet the highest quality standards,” Lindert continues. “So, these quality standards are crucial for us. In Hazera’s onion varieties, we can see they share that focus.” André confirms this. “Especially in the lighter sandy soils, where onion cultivation has expanded in recent years. Varieties like Vento, Dormo, and Centro perform well there. In that soil, you need onions that naturally grow more slowly to stay firm.”
Skin firmness is a significant theme for both Hazera and MSP as well. “Our varieties are characterized by a nice round shape and high storage efficiency,” André explains. “It’s important for the grower that the onions maintain the same quality later in the season. If they grow too fast, you’ll encounter baldness later on. That’s not an issue with our varieties.” MSP’s processing also focuses on maintaining skin firmness. “In our process, product friendliness takes precedence over quantity. No bulk, but rather fewer onions that are genuinely good,” says Lindert. “Especially now that the quality of onions coming from the fields is under pressure, caution is necessary.”
Dormo, under the right conditions, the firmest onion with the best skin retention in the Rijnsburger range.
A stronger future together
According to Lindert, the strength of the collaboration between MSP Onions and Hazera lies in their shared ambition. “We both want to continuously elevate the Dutch onion to a higher level. We also have a joint responsibility to advise growers as well as possible. The knowledge Hazera shares with us about onion varieties is invaluable from MSP’s perspective.” André adds, “We want to advise growers, especially in new cultivation areas, on where they can go for high-quality processing. Collaborating closely with processors and sharing knowledge are crucial in this.”
At Hazera, we are proud of our dedicated team, which works passionately to provide our growers with the best products. While we tend to put our products in the headlines, it is the Hazera team who are behind our success. Let’s shine the spotlight on Alvaro Andrino (45), Sales Manager for Central America from Guatemala City, Central America.
Alvaro Andrino (45) has always wanted to study and work in agriculture. Even though his family had been involved in the industry, it was his childhood friends, who made him want to go into this field. “When I was young, I spent a lot of time at my friends’ cattle farm to look at the animals and to be a “cowboy.” He smiled. “I was always surrounded by agriculture, so it is not surprising that I fell in love with this industry. After graduation, I started my professional career working with plants. It has been about 24 years now.”
In your opinion, what is the most important personality trait someone would need to have to work in your industry?
“Patience.” Alvaro said right away with confidence. “You must be very patient. I have a history of working with chemicals you apply to the crops. That was my first job and I quickly learnt, that when working with chemicals you can do trials and within 24 – 48 hours, you can see the results. With seeds, it is different, it is slow. Developing a good variety can take years.” Alvaro continued. “So, patience is very important, but so is understanding the crops from the beginning. In this job, you need to be on the fields to truly understand the crop and to see the characteristics that would make a variety successful.”
Tell us about a project you’re proud of and why.
“I am quite proud of the Exceed project we are working on for the Fresh Chain. As part of it, with our mini seedless watermelon variety, Exceed, we got ranked quite high at the innovation award at Fruit Logistica in Berlin. I am happy about it because it is a project, we started around three years ago when developing this variety. I was confident in Exceed, but what positively surprised me was how efficiently and professionally the team worked to achieve this. We needed to arrange samples for the event, we needed to do the promotions, and talk to the clients at the fair etc… There was trust, which is very important.” He says with a smile. “Especially because we are still just at the beginning of this project.”
What does “Hazera- Growing Together” mean to you?
“For me, growing together means understanding that event though everything begins with the seed, we need to work together with breeders, growers, portfolio managers and so on to develop the right seeds that can grow into a strong plant and later can prove a nice dining experience to people. We need to develop new technologies, have to listen to growers, and be on the fields to see and learn. Learning is also a form of growing.”
Can you please explain how one of Hazera’s pillars affects you daily?
“All four pillars, inspired by nature, good for people, global diversity, and Invested expertise are very connected and are important to me.” Alvaro was thinking hard. “But if I had to choose one, I would say inspired by nature. I consider myself a lucky person for having to work in in this field for a long time. I love going to the field early in the morning when the sun has not even come out yet, but when it does, you see the whole crop in a different light, it is like as if the sun is giving them life. It is beautiful. But I also understand how much work it is to create such a beauty. Just think of how much effort and time are put into one seed. But it is all worth it because we are doing good for people, providing them with food.”
Tell us something about yourself that most people do not know.
“I have a wonderful family. I am happily married to my wife, Luisa and we have an amazing cat, Dalí. I love sports. Any kind, let it be rowing, tennis, football, rugby. I try to do sports every day, even at four in the morning or ten at night. I am very passionate about it. I think that your mind and body have to be on the same level. You cannot be a balanced person if you are not taking care of yourself. I am also very passionate about the industry and my work. Also, because I love doing what I do, but also because of my mother, who passed away two years ago.” Alvaro continued with a sad voice. “She and my two older brothers were and still are a great inspiration for me in everything I do. She was a truly amazing woman who motivated me a lot to continue study and to do a good work.
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Cultivating the future: Hazera’s new High-tech tomato greenhouse
Posted on Feb 05, 2024
Hazera has recently acquired a new high-tech greenhouse next to our headquarters in Made, the Netherlands. According to Yossi Shapiro, Head of R&D, this acquisition marks a significant step in Hazera’s journey to establish a strong position in the high-tech greenhouse tomato industry. He gives insight into the acquisition process, goals in research and development, and what Hazera can offer to the high-tech tomato market.
“Our goal to establish ourselves as one of the leaders in the high-tech tomato market with our mid- to long-term plan, as there is strong competition there”, Yossi says. “This goal was the primary motivation to invest in a state-of-the-art active tomato greenhouse, as you need the best facilities to compete with the best.” Hazera is empowering its tomato portfolio worldwide through the new high-tech tomato project with the strong support of Limagrain’s vegetable seed division. As the largest company in the vegetable seed industry, Limagrain Group has significantly invested in this project.
Backyard transformation
Yossi says multiple options were considered, such as renovating existing facilities or building a greenhouse from scratch. “But the answer was right in our own backyard: to buy an industry-grade, commercial greenhouse operation, that we can readily transform into a research facility with the help of our experts.” André van Zeijl, the previous owner of the greenhouse, has been an independent grower for over 25 years.
He has a lot of experience and will support the transition to a research facility.
With advanced technology and a focus on producing clean seeds through good seed and plant practices (GSPP), Hazera aims to elevate its research capabilities. Another important advantage of acquiring an existing facility, is sustainability. Re-purposing the greenhouse in Made, rather than building a new one, suits Hazera’s strategy of caring for the planet that helps us grow extraordinary seeds. We take our responsibility for the environment very seriously. Hazera has a lot of know-how and experience in breeding high-quality varieties that can be grown with reduced input. It’s great to see that a company like Hazera has such a strong focus on sustainability.
Experts in resistance, yield and taste
When talking about Hazera’s position in the high-tech tomato market, Yossi notes that “We also bring something very valuable to the table: our expertise in developing tomato varieties with strong resistance to diseases, particularly in response to ToBRFV, combined with excellent yield and taste. This can really equip growers to manage their biggest challenges. A great example of this is Pendragon, one of the ToBRFV-resistant varieties that we’ll be growing in the greenhouse. In addition, this greenhouse provides us with the opportunity to further improve yield, fruit quality, and commercial appeal of those varieties, and to implement the innovative techniques and technologies which will increase our efficiency, enhance the R&D outcomes, and accelerate time to market.”
“The Netherlands is the birthplace and center of the global high-tech tomato industry, so it is a natural location for us to launch this program”, Yossi continues. “But the goal of all our efforts is to develop hybrid high-tech tomato varieties to meet the evolving needs of our grower customers, wherever they may be, so they can serve the needs of their customers. When consumers are enjoying tasty and healthfully tomatoes grown from our seeds, we can say that we’ve been successful in our mission.”
A vision for tomorrow
“The heightened level of control and optimization in the high-tech greenhouse environment ensures that we can replicate production conditions under which we want to evaluate the varieties we are developing and advancing. That way, we aim to bring innovation and improvement to high-tech tomato markets around the world.”
“By combining our new active greenhouse research facility in Made, the expertise we have in developing leading tomato varieties, and our experience in customer engagement, we expect to play an important role in the high-tech tomato industry”, Yossi concludes. “There’s an exciting opportunity to grow this part of our business, and it starts with R&D.
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UPDATE: Hazera UK Partners Veg Power Schools Project!
Posted on Jul 20, 2023
UPDATE 07/12/23
Colleagues from Hazera UK joined the Veg Power Team on 8th June 2023 to help the children of Birchwood Junior School in Lincoln with the next exciting stage of their ‘GROWING TO LOVE’ tomato project.
It was time to re-pot the tomato seedlings that the children had raised and looked after so carefully since sowing them in April, and they were thrilled to show us what they had achieved, all perfectly captured by the Veg Power camera crew!
With much enjoyment and enthusiasm, involving compost, pots, labels and plenty of water, the children were justly proud and happy to have prepared their plants to take home for nurturing over the summer holidays. We are sure you will see their joy and delight in the attached photographs!
We hope to have the opportunity to re-visit the school in September to witness the final chapter –
The Tomato Harvest!
(Original article below)
Hazera UK are delighted to be full members of the UK Veg Power Alliance, a not-for-profit organisation encouraging children to eat more vegetables. It has been shown that 80% of UK children are not eating enough vegetables, with one third eating less than one portion a day. Veg Power has introduced several initiatives to inspire children, and their parents, to include more vegetables as a fundamental part of their everyday diet.
Providing educational packs
One of the Veg Power initiatives for 2023 is to provide educational packs to schools across the country to link with the ‘EAT THEM TO DEFEAT THEM’ TV advertising campaign. The packs will be sent to 15 schools in the area around the Hazera UK Head Office, supported by our membership of the Alliance. We believe providing the packs to local schools will not only encourage the health and nutrition of local children but also promote the Hazera brand more widely.
Growing to Love
Hazera UK will also support the participation of local schools in another Veg Power initiative, ‘GROWING TO LOVE’. Most children are enthused by planting a tiny seed, nurturing it, and watching it grow, indeed, research has shown children are more likely to try the food they have grown themselves. The ‘GROWING TO LOVE’ project involves children sowing and raising tomato plants during the summer, and then using the fruits in cooking sessions at the conclusion of the project. In partnership with Veg Power, Hazera UK has agreed to fund ten classes of thirty children in local schools, providing each child with a Hazera-branded tomato growing kit. We will have the opportunity to take part in the fun by joining the Veg Power Team on two fully managed school visits: one for planting and one for repotting.
Explaining the journey from ‘field to fork’
With many children, especially those living in more urban environments, being unaware of the origin of their foods, this campaign and these visits will enable Hazera UK to explain the journey from ‘field to fork’ of vegetable production. This has the potential to expand knowledge and understanding of horticulture in the environment, and to also impart an appreciation of outdoor activities to improve health and wellbeing.
CSR commitments
Hazera UK absolutely endorses the ambitions and goals of this exciting project and is keen to play an active role. We are proud to be associated with our local community, whilst contributing to our CSR commitments. We look forward to the various activities and will provide you with updates showing the progress of our involvement throughout the summer months.
Please visit this link for more information on ‘GROWING TO LOVE’ and other exciting campaigns run by the Veg Power Team.
The drive for high-quality foods that contribute to a healthy lifestyle is stronger than ever. Vegetables are gaining a more prominent role in our diets. At the same time, events such as inflation, the energy and climate crisis and the pandemic have contributed to the strong urge to save money and energy. Even when preparing our meals. The result? Culinary creativity.
Preparing meals that are healthy for your lifestyle, the planet and your wallet: how do you do it? We take a look at the main trends.
#1 Vegetables in the lead role
Vegetables are increasingly becoming the main player in our meals. For some this means eating vegan or vegetarian, for others it means trying to cut back on their meat consumption. As a result, the demand for plant-based meals continues to grow.
Meals high in vegetables have a smaller carbon footprint and more nutrients, making them more cost-effective and sustainable. Moreover, this trend leads to culinary creativity: how do we create delicious meals around vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers and cauliflower? Growers love to see their crops become the star of the show!
#2 Vegetables fulfill a high-protein diet
The increasingly conscious approach to our diet also affects what we consider to be “the best source for the protein” we need. Whether for environmental, animal or health reasons, the days when meat was seen as the main source of protein are over. Vegetables such as broccoli are seen as valuable alternatives.
#3 Waste is not on the menu
Perhaps the easiest way to reduce your food costs and footprint: use everything! Food waste is prominent on the agenda of consumers, as well as governments and NGOs. Did you know that according to the UN, about 30% of food produced for human consumption is wasted? This waste of food and money inspires chefs around the world to get creative in using every part of produce. From root to leaf. The more creative you get, the less will end up in the trash – and the more will be left in your wallet.
Contact us!
Clearly, in the quest for a more sustainable and healthier lifestyle, we need to get creative in the kitchen! At Hazera, we keep a close eye on developments in this field and provide our partners with the knowledge, advice and products needed to keep up. Wondering how we can support your business? Then contact us
Hazera at AgroExpo 2023: “Growers know we have the solution to ToBRFV”
Posted on Jun 02, 2023
Hazera was present at the AgroExpo 2023 on Crete, Greece, from 26-28 May. Dimitris Karanikolos, Financial Administration Manager and Marcom Business Partner for the Greek subsidiary, explains the importance of this event. “Since last November, the Crete area has seen an increase in problems with the ToBRFV-virus. That’s why we had two main goals at the exhibition: to introduce and promote our ToBRFV-resistant varieties, and to spread information and increase awareness amongst local growers.”
“By now, around the 30% of the tomato cultivation in Greece has been affected by ToBRFV”, says Dimitris, further highlighting the vital importance of a strong and efficient policy against the virus. A policy that includes tomato varieties that are strong both in fruit quality and resistance. To get the main message on ToBRFV varieties across at the exhibition, Hazera created three main pillars: A fancy booth to spread awareness and display the products, meetings with small teams of agronomists to spread knowledge and a special demo field where growers could see the ToBRFV resistant varieties in the field.
Providing the right tools
“It is very important for us to build a stronger relationship with growers, but also with local agronomists, because they go into many different greenhouses and support the cultivation”, Dimitris says. “We noticed that the agronomists were very happy both with the complete knowledge we provided and the products that we offered. Our tomatoes are very tasteful and cover all the needs and standards of the Greek market, and besides that they also have ToBRFV IR resistance. This, combined with the information and awareness we spread, gives both growers and agronomists the tools they need to create healthy products of great quality.”
Knowledge is key.
When asked about his highlights of the AgroExpo, Dimitris answers that he noticed visitors came to the Hazera booth with knowledge and a clear purpose. “They knew we had a descent solution to the ToBRFV-virus, which means we successfully created awareness and knowledge about the variety with our campaigns. Another highlight was the feedback we got from growers that had already tested our varieties and told us that they are tasteful with very good shelf life”.
Dimitris is very happy to hear that growers are very satisfied with the sellable products they can now produce again, as he knows this hasn’t always been the case since the virus hit. “The last 3 years we have seen a dramatic increase of ToBRFV inflation in many areas. This led to the growers changing their habits: they either stopped growing tomatoes or growing smaller quantities to spread production, alternatively replaced them with other crops. This led to a decrease in tomato production, whilst the demand increased. Especially from May to October, when our population nearly doubles due to tourism.”
Product innovator to market leader
“So, the need for ToBRFV resistant varieties was urgent”, Dimitris continues. “We knew our varieties had good resistance, but we needed to ensure that our plants delivered both quality and quantity of fruits. After testing on a small scale, we moved to larger trials all over Greece last year. And with success, as growers can now produce high quality tomatoes again that are sellable in our market. Our competitors had good varieties as well, but they weren’t suitable for the Greek market. Thus, we have the advantage of being the first to have that optimal balance between production and protection”. Because of this, Dimitris is very optimistic about staying market leader for at least the next year or two. “And we expect to have the seeds and added value to cover all the needs of the market.”
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Introducing the new Global Value Fresh Chain Lead of Hazera: Michal Taraska
Posted on Jun 16, 2023
Growing up on his family farm in Poland, Michal Taraska developed two main interests: agriculture, coming from the family business, and the commercial aspect, stemming from his grandfather who owned the bank in their village. Now, he combines those two passions in his role as Global Fresh Chain Lead for Hazera. In this article, Michal introduces himself and shares his insights on the Global Tomato Congress (GTC) he recently attended in the Netherlands.
“What I like about working in the seeds business is that you are involved right from the beginning of the process. These early stages are crucial for producing quality products,” Michal says. And when it comes to growing fresh produce, he knows what he is talking about. Having grown up surrounded by crops like onions, sugar beans, and wheat grown for seeds, Michal pursued an Agriculture Course at the University of Science and Technology in Bydgoszcz, followed by a series of jobs with leading seed production companies. For the past 8 years, Michal has been further developing his expertise with the Limagrain group, spending the first five years as the Sales and Development Manager in HM. Clause, and the past three years as a Project Manager responsible for partnerships with retailers.
From local to global impact
“One of our main projects there was to promote our Rosamunda Tomato variety in the fresh chain market,” Michal says. “It was a significant challenge since the Fresh Market was considered saturated and standardized. However, thanks to a strong team effort and a lot of hard work, we managed to introduce our innovative variety on the shelves of many major supermarkets and retailers. It’s an achievement that I’m very proud of.” His successful leadership role in this project led Michal to the conclusion: “If we can achieve this in Poland, can we also do it in other markets and on a global scale? It’s a great challenge with a lot of responsibility, but I’m ready to embrace it.”
Professional goals
As the Global Value Fresh Chain Lead of Hazera, Michal wants to continue getting Hazera’s products on the shelves of major retailers worldwide. “We have fantastic products and innovations that I want to introduce to the world. Another important goal of mine is to develop strong relationships with the people within our company and sister companies because achieving our goals will always be a team effort and lead to team victories. My new position combines the three things I love most about our field of work: the inspiring people, a healthy product that can have a positive impact on people’s lives, and the challenging projects we undertake.”
Inspiration all around
To find solutions for the challenges that come his way, Michal draws inspiration from two main sources; other people and the world at large. “I believe that listening to others, especially those with different perspectives, is an essential resource for generating new ideas on how we approach our business. But inspiration also comes from the world around you. I draw a lot from my hobby, kitesurfing. The interaction with wind and water allows me to recharge my batteries and enter a creative state of mind where my best ideas emerge.”
Global Tomato Conference
“My first attendance at the GTC left a strong impression on me,” Michal says. “It was inspiring to meet numerous experts from the seed industry and affiliated businesses all in one place. However, I was somewhat surprised by the relatively low number of growers and retailers in attendance. I believe events like this play a crucial role in knowledge sharing and collaboration, ultimately contributing to our collective goal of helping growers address the challenges they face. But I see opportunities to enhance the value of a conference like this by expanding its scope and involving more retailers and growers.”
“I was impressed by the consistent quality of Hazera’s products on display and the positive reception they received,” Michal continues. “The combination of firmness, extended shelf life, visually appealing characteristics, and delightful taste make Hazera’s tomato varieties a compelling choice for both retailers and consumers.” Michal concludes with a final lesson learned from the GTC and advice for growers: “Striking a right balance between providing resistance to viruses and maintaining delicious taste will enhance the overall desirability and marketability of the tomatoes produced, benefiting both producers and consumers.”
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Growing Together: an international event of collaboration and connection
Posted on Jun 05, 2023
The Growing Together international open days will take place in Israel on June 5-7. “It’s a unique opportunity to bring everybody together” says Veronica Derby, MarCom Manager at Hazera, and Haggai Breslauer, Sales Manager for Hazera Africa, who walk us through the event, sharing some exciting insights and highlights.
“It basically is the biggest event we held in recent years”, Veronica says about the Growing Together International open days. “It will bring over 85 customers, partners, and distributors of Hazera together, coming all the way to Israel from Africa, the Balkan region, the Americas, and the CIS-region. But there’s also a part for local Israeli growers”. According to Haggai, the goal is “to display our latest products, strengthen our bonds with clients and partners, and exchange knowledge and priorities between all parties involved. And of course: to have fun!”
What is the main purpose of the event?
Haggai emphasizes that, as the title ‘Growing Together’ suggests, the event will not be one-sided. “It is just as important for our clients to meet us, as it is for us to meet them. Our goal is to improve and grow together. This means not just explaining what we are doing, but also why and how.” To achieve this target, everybody must be looking in the same direction. Veronica: “By coming together we can connect, exchange knowledge about different products and markets, and align our priorities.”
Haggai says this transfer of knowledge is especially relevant for upcoming markets like Africa. “We see ourselves as having a responsibility in developing the agricultural market, not just to sell our products”. Another important goal to Haggai is for clients to meet the people behind the crops. “We want to bring our researchers forward. There’s two sides to that coin: On one side, our researchers can hear from clients first-hand what their needs are. And on the other side, we get to show our clients the hard work our teams deliver and what it takes to breed a good variety.”
What can visitors expect?
“We want our customers to get to know us, just as much as we want to get to know them, therefore we will start off with a few presentations on topics like our R&D and process innovations, ToBRFV-project, and production challenges. Then there’s the touristic part, in which we travel to Jerusalem and show everyone our beautiful country. “The third part is our field day, in which some groups visit a local nursery, a commercial union plot and our tomato greenhouse”, Haggai continues.
“And finally, on the last day of the event we will visit the main exhibition field where we display our products and come back to our Israeli HQ. This will include tours of our phytosanitary lab, our quality control germination and health labs,- as well as our in-house nursery”. For local growers, the Growing Together open days also form a great opportunity. Veronica: “For them, the event lasts 8 to 10 days, in which they can visit our development plot next to the exhibition where we present exciting new material that will soon be commercialized. However, from June 5-7 they have an extra nice opportunity, as they can be exposed to global activity.”
What excites you the most about the Open Days?
“To finally see all of our clients and partners face-to-face together again”, Haggai says. “It’s not often that we can get everybody from across the globe together for a professional event, for some clients it will even be the first time. So, this is a big deal for us. It gives us a chance to get everybody on the same page, strengthen relationships, share new products and developments, and learn from each other”. Haggai says he knows the visitors are very excited about the open days. “But believe me, so are we!”
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In Hazera, we tend to put the spotlight on our successful products, yet their success starts with the People of Hazera: the truly committed and passionate experts who make it all happen on a daily basis. Meet Avi Gabai (65), our Production Research Manager from Herzliya, a city in central Israel. Avi spent more than three decades at Hazera in different roles, directly reflecting the progress and the growth Hazera has achieved during these years.
Avi has been with Hazera since 1990 in different roles in R&D and the Production departments, and from 2010 he has been managing the research in Production, improving the methods and tools of seed production, bringing innovation and solutions as continuous improvement processes. With his work, Avi helps the production teams improve their production performance for all of the Hazera crops.
“What is a common myth or preconception about your job or field of expertise?”
“If you will ask the people of Hazera, they would say I’m only dealing with Onions” he says while grinning (which isn’t the case). “When I am talking with people outside Hazera, it always come to this one question: ‘What happened to the taste of tomatoes? Bring it back please’.” Apparently, it’s the most painful subject people relate to.
“In your opinion, what is the most important personality trait/strength someone would need to work in your industry/be successful in your job?”
“In my field at Hazera, I work in collaboration with different groups in production, and it became evident that the most important trait is the ability to ‘recruit’ people to join your cause, and together achieve the goal of improving the production process and consequently- the results. Getting them involved, making them feel this project is really theirs, and beyond. Continuous improvement is a team effort.”
“Tell us about a project you are really proud of and why”
“I am really proud of our joint activity in the start-up incubator with ‘South Up’. Together, we created an accelerator, enabling AG-Tech start-ups to receive help from us, in terms of mentoring, facilities and funds, and in return these start-ups are giving the benefit of new and innovative technologies we can embed into Hazera. Also, their culture of fast and agile work processes can contribute to our culture in Hazera. This is a win-win situation: Hazera can enforce its growth engines with the new technology and they can develop it into something that could be shared with the world and become commercial and profitable.”
“What book or movie you would recommend us and why?”
“Setting all politics aside, I want to recommend a book that I am reading now. It’s called “Who’s Michael?”, written by Eliezer Shkedy, former chief commander of the Israeli Air Force, and former CEO of El Al. The book contains short stories from his past, showcasing his positive and humane approach to life. He tried to understand the other side above all, although he had some of the most demanding and stressing positions in the army- also true for him as a civilian. The way he followed and listened to his heart, thought about others and not just himself is really impressive and inspirational to me and I try to incorporate this attitude on a daily basis.”
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Meet us and check our ToBRFV resistant tomatoes at the Global Tomato Congress!
Posted on May 09, 2023
On May 16th, Hazera will be present at the Global Tomato Congress in Rotterdam. Here, alongside our delicious flavored tomatoes Summersun, Goutine and Sensera, we will present our ToBRFV resistant tomato varieties Pendragon, Windsor, Canelo, Thireos, Giubilo and Lollipop. But how are these varieties developed? In this article Alejandro Szechtman, Portfolio Marketing Director of Tomatoes, tells us all we need to know on Hazera’s worldwide approach towards the ToBRFV virus, the development of resistant tomato varieties and perspectives for the future.
As Portfolio Marketing Director of Tomatoes, Alejandro knows each market around the world comes with its own challenges. When ToBRFV hit, this was no different. “In each market, we have a very close relationship with our growers, as well as retailers and consumers”, Alejandro says. “This allows us to understand the different needs and problems growers globally faced from the ToBRFV-virus”. As part of the Limagrain Group, Hazera then set out to develop tomato varieties that provided both good resistance as well as excellent economic performance.
Common efforts
According to Alejandro, the close collaboration between local teams and the globally working marketing team is vital in developing these resistant varieties. “It’s a common effort between different disciplines. We have R&D which includes breeders and geneticists developing the products, the marketing department delivering these products to the markets and the local product development teams who test the varieties in each market”. By collecting all data from local teams, the marketing division can decide which varieties are ready to be launched commercially.
“A thorough, all-embracing and constant process”, says Alejandro. “We look at the challenges growers face today, but also at the ones they might face in the future. On a daily basis this means trials, trials and more trials. Developing a new variety takes several years. In our massive effort to conform each variety to the market it is destined for, the goal is always the same: tomatoes that are resistant to the virus. But different conditions require different solutions to get to the same goal. Reaching it would not be possible without working very closely with local growers.”
Launching different varieties
Globally, Hazera has been seeing more and more results of commercially launched ToBRFV-resistant varieties. “Recently, we had a successful launch of the Canelo variety in Mexico, which we’ve been developing from scratch since 2015. It was ready for launch within 7 years, quite an efficient process”. But there are more success stories. Hazera has already launched ToBRFV-resistant varieties in Italy, Spain and Greece. And now, at the Global Tomato Congress, we would like you to meet the Pendagron (suited for Spain, Israel, Mexico and the Netherlands) and Windsor (suited for Spain, Israel and the Netherlands) varieties to the world!
Quality in balance
“When developing and launching additional varieties for various markets, we always look for aspects that make our variety perform well both economically and resistance-wise. Looking for the optimal balance between protection and performance”, Alejandro proudly concludes. “Like I always say; at Hazera we don’t provide varieties, we provide solutions.”
Continuous improvement keeps Hazera Seeds in the global top
Posted on Apr 10, 2023
Hazera is committed to developing high-quality seeds that allow communities to flourish. To do that, Hazera focuses on continually improving its operational excellence in research, production, processing and quality for both customers and employees. “We deliver the best to our customers, and we want to keep it that way”, says Tyrrel Chisenga, Seed technologist. “We put in a lot of effort, but there is always room for improvement.”
“We breed for new varieties, and multiply seeds for growers and farmers alike”, Tyrrel explains. “After production, we perform extensive quality control tests to confirm that our seeds meet the commercial quality standards. Based on the various tests that we execute, we initiate processing activities to ensure that we deliver quality. We also take care of physiological enhancement to ensure seedling vigour and establishment even under sub-optimal conditions. Our efforts are to make sure the seeds that our farmers sow and nurture into a crop, grow and eventually end up as delicious vegetables in supermarkets across the world.”
Quality control and Seed technology Quality control and Seed technology are an indispensable component for Hazera when it comes to making sure we deliver the best quality. “Nature comes with its challenges and when we encounter challenges that may compromise the final product quality after production we initiate research into the causes and solutions”, says Tyrrel. “Such research may encompass physiological, physical, health, genetic aspects of the seeds or efficiency of processes. Everything we do is to ensure optimum quality for our customers.”
On top of the game
Even though Hazera adheres to the commercial quality standards and guarantees quality, there is always room for improvement, Tyrrel finds. Hazera invests in continually improving seed quality. “These investments include machinery for seed enhancement, automation of processes and the use of imaging systems for better inline decision making. Additionally, there are improved protocols with reduced lead times. We introduced the Lean management system in our processing plants. We created a work environment that allows the smooth and fast flow of processes and at the same time reduces work load. This allows us to cater to the needs of our customers in a brief period.”
For Hazera, its employees are on the same pedestal as the customers. Tyrrel: “The most important thing for the welfare of our employees is to make sure that their work remains interesting and safe. That is why we made a new tomato pelleting formulation that is safer for our employees to apply. It also results in improved sowability and seedling performance.”
Want to know more?
Follow us on our social media channels to stay connected with Hazera and our continuous improvement! If you have any questions left, don’t hesitate to ask them via our contact page!
Hazera center-stage at MOP Arava Israel 2023 annual expo
Posted on Feb 13, 2023
Want to be the first to see the next generation of the Israeli tomato and be impressed by the new variety portfolio of Hazera? Join us for a unique opportunity and meet our team for a deeper understanding of the quality, performance and potential of Hazera’s new varieties.
The exhibition in the Arava is the perfect opportunity to get a glimpse of the future of the Israeli tomato with “Rubicon”/ “Doria” – a new Saladette tomato variety that is suitable for picking in a cluster. The tomato is delicious, firm, has a long shelf life and excellent preservation on the plant, as well as a bright red and attractive fruit.
Rubicon (“Doria”): from the grower to our plate. Photograph: Ofer Hajub
In addition to “Rubicon”, Hazera- a world pioneer in the seed industry, will launch the “Yellow Whitney” – the heart tomato that made Israelis fall in love and is now available in red and yellow. The Yellow Whitney is the first yellow Midi Plum tomato of its kind – it is extremely tasty, has impressive yellow fruit, is very firm and crunchy and has a strong plant and a high yield.
Yellow Whitney. Photograph: Ofer Hajub
Come see and taste! Still young at heart, the queen of flavor, The “Maggie” tomato, is ringing in its first decade with a party! Maggie is known as a high-quality Israeli tomato, with a juicy green gel, which gives it a fine taste and rich aroma. Maggie is grown throughout the year nationwide in Israel among selected farmers only and packaged in a closed and marked package – and now with a new branding in honor of its 10-year celebration.
Maggie “the Taste” Tomato. Photograph: Ofer Hajub
At the exhibition, Hazera will launch new varieties of radishes: “Whitella” in white and “Purpella” in purple: round radishes for growing in open and closed areas, with impressive and strong colors, suitable for growing all year round with a high yield and excellent internal quality.
New radish varieties. Photograph: Hazera
Come and get an impression of a red, curly romaine lettuce: “Purple Heart“. Beyond the nutritional benefits of romaine lettuce, which is 5 times richer in vitamins than other types of lettuce, the variety “Purple Heart” is characterized as crunchy and extremely tasty and has a bright red color that penetrates deep into the leaf.
“Purple Heart”. Photograph: Hazera
Come and meet the team of Hazera at the Araba expo taking place on February 15 and 16 in Ein Hatzeva, Israel and join “Rubicon” /”Doria” on her fresh produce journey from the field, to the retailers, and straight to her kitchen!
Hazera lanceert ToBRFV-resistente rassen in Mexico
Posted on Nov 10, 2022
Hazera lanceert eerste resistente rassen voor de Mexicaanse markt tijdens het belangrijkste evenement voor de landbouw in Latijns-Amerika – EXPO AgroAlimentaria Guanajuato® 2022 in Mexico.
ToBRFV is zeer merkbaar in Mexico en telers hebben te maken gehad met verminderde opbrengsten en gehavend fruit. ToBRFV is een enorm probleem voor de tomatenteelt en beïnvloedt de opbrengst en vruchtkwaliteit met kleurproblemen en bruine vlekken op fruit die direct van invloed zijn op de verhandelbare opbrengst.
Sinds ToBRFV tomatentelers over de hele wereld trof, heeft Hazera’s R&D-team jarenlang onvermoeibaar gewerkt aan het vinden van rassen die een effectief niveau van ToBRFV-resistentie kunnen bieden zonder de opbrengst en vruchtkwaliteit in gevaar te brengen. “Deze inspanningen omvatten diepgaande proeven op veel locaties, onder verschillende omstandigheden op een wereldwijde schaal, om te bevestigen dat we in staat zijn om oplossingen te bieden, met de juiste balans tussen prestaties en ToBRFV-bescherming”, aldus Alejandro Szechtman, Hazera’s Portfolio Marketing Director .
Met de optimale balans tussen bescherming en prestatie is Canelo, één van Hazera’s tomatenrassen met resistentie tegen ToBRFV.
Een onbepaalde Roma-soort met een krachtige plant, die een evenwichtige opbrengst behoudt onder ongunstige omgevingsomstandigheden. Dankzij het brede scala aan resistenties. “Door middel van uitgebreide proeven met Canelo in verschillende regio’s van Mexico, biedt Canelo een hoge opbrengst, uitstekende vruchtkwaliteit, goede rijping met een intens rode kleur en uitstekende stevigheid”, aldus Javier Angulo, Product Development Manager, Mexico.
In 2022 is plantaardig eten niet meer weg te denken. Volgens Bloomberg Group ligt de wereldwijde detailhandelsverkoop van plantaardig voedsel op schema om in 2030 $ 160 miljard te bereiken, tegen $ 29 miljard in 2020. Ondertussen heeft onderzoek van The NPD Group uitgewezen dat 19% van de consumenten op zoek is naar meer plantaardige producten. -gebaseerde voedingsmiddelen voor hun dagelijkse menu.
De plantaardige markt is echter meer gefragmenteerd en complexer dan het vaak lijkt – en het evolueert van maand tot maand. We kijken naar enkele van de huidige trends die de markt vormgeven en wat ze betekenen voor telers.
1. Flexitarisme spant zijn spieren aan
De grootste vraag naar plantaardige producten zijn niet vegetariërs of veganisten, maar mensen die ervoor kiezen om minder vlees te eten. Volgens één onderzoek beschouwt 89% van de plantaardige gebruikers zichzelf niet als veganistisch of vegetarisch. Dit is goed nieuws voor akkerbouwers: ‘flexitariërs’ die nog steeds dierlijke eiwitten consumeren, hebben mogelijk minder honger naar zogenaamde ‘vleesalternatieven’ en houden ze eerder vast aan traditioneel plantaardig voedsel zoals groenten, granen en peulvruchten.
2. Wanneer twee trends samenkomen
Schoon/biologisch eten en plantaardige consumptie werden ooit als aparte bewegingen beschouwd, maar nu zien we dit samenkomen.
Met andere woorden, gezondheidsbewuste consumenten lijken af te stappen van complexere, verwerkte plantaardige producten naar eenvoudigere, gezondere alternatieven. In plaats van nep-vleesburgers, denk aan meer bloemkoolsteak. Er zijn gegevens om dit te ondersteunen, waarbij de wereldwijde vermijding van plantaardige eiwitten tussen 2019 en 2021 naar schatting is verdubbeld, volgens het ‘Health + Wellness’-rapport van Hartman.
3. Duurzaamheid is belangrijk
En het gaat niet alleen om gezondheid. Een groeiend milieubewustzijn op consumentenniveau stimuleert ook de trend naar meer gezonde lokale producten. In de toekomst zullen de westerse markten mogelijk een grotere vraag zien naar “koolstofarme” groentecategorieën (zoals koolsoorten, uien en prei) in plaats van voornamelijk geïmporteerde gewassen zoals avocado’s en sojabonen.
4. Innovatie, innovatie, innovatie
Hoewel simpel vaak het beste is, is er in de plantaardige sector geen gebrek aan innovatie. Een bijzonder interessante trend is die van ‘hybride voedingsmiddelen’, zoals hamburgers en nuggets met een mix van vlees- en groenteproducten. Dit kan ook gunstig zijn voor telers, aangezien hybride voedingsmiddelen nieuwe wegen openen naar een verhoogde groenteconsumptie.
Zoals je ziet, veranderen dingen snel in de plantaardige wereld. Bij Hazera houden we de vinger aan de pols en bieden we oplossingen om onze klanten te helpen navigeren in het snel evoluerende consumentenlandschap van vandaag. Neem vandaag nog contact met ons op om te zien hoe we uw bedrijf kunnen ondersteunen.
Royal treatment for our tomato seeds – Volkskrant May 23th
Posted on May 23, 2022
Today in the Volkskrant an interview with Hazera’s CEO Nicolas Tinel. About Hazera’s history in the Netherlands and new developments.Plant breeding is an ancient art.Everything we do is based on the achievements of our predecessors,” says Tinel.Much has changed in seed breeding since Jan Broersen started a hundred years ago.But the romance in the greenhouses has not yet disappeared.
Hazera.com: A brand new look & feel, easier navigation & regional variety information; it is a whole in one.com
Today we launch our updated website. The website is a whole in one.com. An one-stop-shop platform for all our international and local partners. It means we now operate from hazera.com with (automatic) redirections to regional websites.
Whole in one .com
The site features easier navigation, a brand new look & feel and regional variety information. In the regional variety information you will find more detailed information about our varieties, like resistances and harvesting and sowing tables. You can also use filters to find the most suitable variety and select a digital or physical event you want to attend. We will use the website also as platform to share our knowledge and latest insights with our partners.
About Hazera Hazera Seeds is a global organization committed to developing high-quality vegetables seeds that allow communities to flourish. Our mission is making people, partnerships and fruit and vegetables flourish.
Media Contact: Caroline Schonck Marcom Manager communications@hazera.com
Hazera is a global leader in the seed industry. Hazera has headquarters in both the Netherlands and Israel. We operate subsidiaries in 11 countries, together with a distribution network serving over 130 markets. Our partners operate in all kinds of climates, and under diverse growing conditions and market requirements. For over a century, our top priority has been walking alongside them, developing an enormous variety of seeds and providing comprehensive support every step of the way. Hazera’s team of experts works directly with growers to evaluate their needs, assist during variety selection and provide guidance and support throughout the crop cycle.
Hazera is part of the Limagrain Group, an international agri-business based in France. Being a farmers’ cooperative, the Limagrain Group understands the needs of its customers and has grown to become the largest seed company in Europe, specialising in vegetables, field crops and cereal products. Limagrain’s vegetable seed division is the second largest company in the industry.
Primed seeds: the next step in top quality onion growing
Posted on Jan 04, 2022
Hazera has been developing and selling primed onion seeds since 2009. This experience translates into the market as the share of primed seeds is increasing. Many growers are discovering the benefits. Primed seeds can ensure faster crop development after sowing, more uniformity in the crop and final product and better quality onions. That is why it is also interesting for you.
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Backyard transformation
