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.

Everything starts with growing together.

Would you like to learn more about our pepper varieties? Do not hesitate to contact us.

Staay Food Group and Hazera Seeds present new watermelon

Exceed mini watermelon nominated for Fruit Logistica Innovation Award 2024

The Exceed mini watermelon has been nominated for the 2024 Fruit Logistica Innovation Award, marking a proud moment in the long-standing partnership between Staay Food Group and Hazera. The winner will be announced at Fruit Logistica in Berlin (7-9 February), where Staay will be present to premier the Exceed watermelon.

Mark Loojenga, Marketing Manager at Staay Food Group, and Michal Taraska, Global Value Chain Lead at Hazera, discuss the product, the partnership and what to expect at the Food Logistica.

Exceeding expectations
According to Mark and Michal, the Exceed watermelon has earned its nomination through a unique combination of qualities that benefits growers, retailers and consumers. “The Exceed watermelon is a durable and eco-friendly variety, with strong resistance to diseases like powdery mildew and has plants that provide multiple harvests. Not only does this make life easier for the grower, but it also requires less fungicides and significantly less water than the production of traditional watermelons”, Mark says. Michal adds that this also helps reduce food waste: “Exceed makes it possible to reduce losses in production and during transport.”

“And due to the variety’s extended shelf-life of over 5-10 days longer than traditional watermelons, this variety displays a long-lasting freshness in both supermarkets and consumer’s homes”, he continues. With its compact, uniform size the Exceed watermelon answers a strongly growing call in the (Northern) European and American markets for smaller watermelons. “The size is suitable for ever smaller households and easy to keep in the fridge. And they’re seedless, which is both a major convenience for consumers and a waste-saver.” Mark adds. “But it’s the taste and color they come back for.” Michal: “The Exceed mini watermelon has a really sweet and crispy taste, as is shown by its above average Brix level.”

Team effort
The Exceed mini watermelon is the latest success in a long-standing collaboration between Staay Food Group and Hazera. “Staay is a strong and dynamic partner, which is key for successfully introducing a new product to the market”, Michal says. He underlines the importance of such a partnership for Hazera. “We can provide the best Formula One car, but we still need a top-class driver to win the race. In Staay Food Group, we’ve found that driver.”

An analogy Mark wholeheartedly agrees with. “Hazera provides top-quality seeds that are perfectly suited for our fields in Costa Rica. And with this newly developed variety, we perfectly reflect the demands of the market; we’re able to grow the right products. The Exceed mini watermelon is another step in our close and fruitful cooperation.”

Premier release at Fruit Logistica Berlin
The premier release of the Exceed mini watermelon for the European market will take place at Fruit Logistica, where Staay Food Group will be present at stand B45 in hall 3.2. “Here, we will also display a selection of other products we grow and offer ourselves,” Mark elaborates. “For the first time we can show our three club varieties of colored pears together: The Red Conference, Early Desire and Dazzling Gold are all exclusively available through Staay Food Group. Secondly, we show our hydroponic lettuces, and finally our wide range of available vine tomatoes. In addition, we will bring special attention to our branch in Venlo, which focusses on the food service industry. This location provides a quite unique service for the German market, where customers can buy products per box instead of per pallet and can combine different products on one pallet. This is ideal for restaurants, who usually don’t need entire pallets of one product.”

The prize-giving ceremony for the innovation award will take place on 9 February 2024, 2.30 p.m. at the FLIA Technology special exhibition area between Halls 1.1 and 2.1. Mark and Michal agree this nomination “shows we are on the right track in our team effort to successfully align the development, cultivation, sales and marketing of excellent and innovative products.”

Staay Food Group is an international cultivation, sales and marketing organization in fresh fruit and vegetables with a global network; The World is our Garden. Staay Food Group is a family business, founded in 1946. It delivers tailor-made products to customers in retail, wholesale, foodservice and processing.

HAZERA: Growing Together
Hazera’s headquarters are situated in Israel and The Netherlands, with subsidiaries in twelve countries and an extensive distribution network providing services in over 100 additional markets. This worldwide presence enables us to be close to our customers.
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.

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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Hazera, part of Limagrain Group, is a specialist in the development, production and marketing of onion seed. The breeders have been working on strong varieties of excellent quality since the 1950s. The distribution of new, improved onion varieties is a slow process that can sometimes take more than 25 years. It is therefore important to have a good vision of what the market needs. What are the trends?

“For years the focus within the company has been on breeding and cultivation in the local markets, but since 2008, when Hazera was formed in its current form, there has been a complete global focus,” said Reinout de Heer, Global Product Manager Allium. “Onions are sensitive to day length. The length of the day determines the moment of bulb formation of the onion. Different varieties are therefore more or less suitable for cultivation per day length zone; from short day onions to extra long day onions. Due to the global focus, development programs and knowledge can be combined. This has given the worldwide cultivation, production and sale of high-quality onion seed a significant boost.”

More sales opportunities
Onions are a daily ingredient in the kitchen for many people worldwide. And although an onion is not sold at variety level in the supermarket. There you just buy a yellow, white, pink or red onion. The variety is important to the growers. Pablo Salgado, Onion Breeder: “They are focussing on disease resistance, skin quality, firmness and yield. Hazera is constantly working on innovations in this area in order to achieve the best onion with the highest yield for growers, processors and buyers. An example is the development of varieties that are suitable for multiple processing options, so that the grower has more possibilities in terms of sales opportunities.”

Growth
Semiagro, Peru: “The Peruvian onion market has grown thanks to the fantastic work of the collaboration between Semiagro and Hazera. With 17,500 hectares of planted cultivation area, the onion crop is positioned as the highest-producing vegetable in the Peruvian market.
The national consumption of pink onions represents 83% and 17% for the export market (mainly granex for the US). In addition, the conditions for the onion grower have improved, the possibilities for the national and export potential market for wholesalers have increased and the consumer has access to better quality onions.”

Superior material
Semiagro and Hazera have been working together for more than two decades on the development of hybrid onion varieties in Peru. Today, the Sivan F1 is the leading variety on the market and is recognized throughout the chain for its characteristics: excellent post-harvest, good skin retention, beautiful color and thin necks.

There are already promising trials for early onions. Year after year we see superior material from 3 new varieties (10414, 10416 and 10417), the result of 19 years of trials.”

Harvesting by machine
Within the yellow short day onions segment, the trend is to produce more uniform round onions. A change that is necessary, because manual harvesting and processing is becoming too expensive. Pablo: “By making sure the onions are more uniform and round, they can be harvested and sorted more easily by machine. Maintaining qualities such as firmness, skin retenation and disease resistance is very important.”

Golden combination
In New Zealand and the Netherlands, many onions are destined for export. Reinout: “The onions must also remain of high quality during and after transport. Skin retention and firmness are important elements for good quality onions. In addition, the net yield must be good. As a grower you can get a high yield from the field, but in the end you get paid for the yield upon delivery. Excellent quality and high net yield is the golden combination.

Rhinestone
Steve McArthur – Vigour, New Zealand: “Ten years ago, the New Zealand onion industry was upgraded with the first large-scale planting of the Dutch-bred onion, Rhinestone. The onion yield for the growers has increased by more than 10% since then. Rhinestone leads the way in terms of reliability and quality, not only for growers, but also for others in the chain, such as exporters, packers and retailers.

Listening to local growers
Hazera’s breeders first listened to local growers. They created Rhinestone by combining local New Zealand genetics with the best genetics from other regions. The result: a hybrid with geographical adaptability, but also a long shelf life, high yield, great taste, firm bulbs and very good skin retention.

New Zealand plays an important role in filling the gap between the old and new season onions in Western Europe. Shipping onions for a journey across the equator for six to ten weeks requires an onion with many excellent qualities.
Rhinestone offers growers the certainty that they deliver quality to the other side of the world.

Climate and red onions
Other developments that Hazera is paying attention to are irrigation solutions and red onions. Pablo: “The climate is changing. We are conducting tests so that we can respond effectively to longer periods of drought or more precipitation.” Reinout continues: “And the market for red onions is growing. We are expanding our portfolio in all segments. Both in the short day and in the extra long day, with our latest introduction, for example, the Redrover. This extra long day red onion has a long shelf life and is very suitable for use in salads.”

Written by: Dr. David Levy,
Plant Pathologist, Hazera

Globalization of our world over the past several decades has driven a huge increase in the global movement of biological material, providing numerous opportunities for the spread of diseases in a relatively short time.

Infectious plant diseases can cause minor damage, while others may cause a huge epidemic capable of destroying an entire crop. In the case of plant viruses, there is no cure for the infected plant, since plants lack a real immune system of the type animals and humans have. Therefore, the most efficient solution to combat the problem is to prevent plants from being infected by applying preventive hygiene measures.

Sounds familiar?! Now, in 2020, most people comprehend this logic as the world faces a critical and challenging period due to the COVID-19 human virus pandemic. As the virus spreads throughout the world, it is affecting and changing our routine life.

Hazera, as a seed company, is heavily invested in research and in the development and production of high-quality varieties. We have acquired knowledge and practices in fighting pests and viruses that may threaten the yields and the quality of our varieties – our products.

In this fight against viruses, it is key to understand that every pathogen has a disease cycle, which is the way the virus infects, reproduces and spreads. This can also be called the epidemiological triangle:

Knowing your pest, reliable and professional detection methods, good methodology for sampling and monitoring the population and early detection in case of a disease outbreak are important and practical key points in controlled disease management.

This is not the first time that humanity has encountered a devastating pandemic. However, in the past, such outbreaks of disease were generally local or regional epidemics due to limited global transportation and movement of population.

How can implementing a quarantine contribute to stopping the spread of the virus?

Quarantine – a procedure developed during the 14th century to protect coastal cities from disease epidemics. Ships arriving in Venice from infected ports were required to moor in the harbor for 40 days (quaranta giorni) before disembarking, a practice known as quarantine.

Currently, we are all learning the importance of quarantine safety measures and can now appreciate the significant social impact of quarantine restrictions on suspected virus carriers.

The strategy used in the case of plant viruses is very similar. But quarantine in itself is insufficient to fight and defeat epidemics. Avoidance or prevention are the best strategy for plant viruses and are efficient for specific human populations (high risk groups) in the case of human viruses. It is better and more cost effective to make every effort to prevent the virus from entering our fields or greenhouses, in the case of plant viruses, or into countries or communities in the case of human viruses. This can be achieved by three important elements known as MDM.

Measures – use of disinfectants, gloves, coats, masks, coveralls and additional protective means
Discipline – everyone must follow the guidelines and instructions strictly and precisely
Management – the process is led by professionals backed by the full commitment of the top administrative level

As a matter of fact, all the measures implemented in the fight against COVID-19 are very similar to those used against plant viruses, except for the use of masks, since plants do not inhale air into lungs. Contact, survival of the virus on surfaces, clothing and tools – even smartphones – apply in both cases.

Discipline is mandatory and critical to the success of the strategy, along with applying restrictions and hygiene measures. Even one person who does not comply with the restrictions is enough to cause an outbreak and secondary spread of a disease – in both plants and human viruses.

Take care!
In disease management, prevention is the most efficient strategy

The vegetable seed company Hazera has a long history of growing cucumbers. Hazera contributed to the birth of improvements in cucumber genetics, especially in the minicucumber. While continuing these improvements, the company is also adopting other varieties, conquering new markets and exploring new marketing possibilities. A roundup of the latest developments with Hazera’s Global Cucurbit Product Manager, Mark van der Zouwen.

Cucumber comes in a wide range of varieties, from 10cm baby cucumbers for snacking to the famous 30cm cucumbers for non-heated or high-tech heated greenhouses, with mini cucumbers (also known as beit alpha), slicers, varieties for making pickles, as well as a wide variety of Asian varieties. Mark van der Zouwen tells us, “The Hazera story began with the mini cucumber, which is mainly grown in non-heated greenhouses in the Mediterranean region, the Middle East, Central Asia, as well as in the Americas. Today mini cucumbers are also grown in heated greenhouses in North America and Northern Europe. Currently, Hazera covers the entire range. Since the 1980s we have introduced many groundbreaking innovations; for example, significant improvements in fruit quality (uniform shape and colour), a drastic improvement in production, adaptability to different growing conditions and, more recently, long shelf life. In the early eighties we also began to specialize in the long variety for non-heated greenhouses, especially in the Mediterranean region. Here we introduced similar innovations, including extended shelf life (many will remember the Suprami variety), and recently created varieties with combined resistance to both powdery mildew and viral diseases such as CVYV and CYSDV.

In mini varieties, Hazera is currently among the top 3 cultivation companies in the world, with varieties very well adapted to the Mediterranean, Middle East and Central American markets, «Our market shares in mini varieties they are growing steadily, and we have expanded our cultivation activities, locating them in the very center of these regions. In addition to the highly successful varieties for spring-summer such as Bereket and Dennis, we are now launching new varieties also for the most stressful cold season as successors to Cohiba. A very interesting development is the midi cucumber for heated greenhouses like our Nikifor spring-autumn variety, which is giving high yields and high fruit quality, for example in Poland, where high-tech growers are using it.”, Mark said. Recently the Hazera crop has also been preparing strong business prospects with the baby cucumber, with 8-12cm fruits, which are rapidly gaining popularity in many markets where healthy snacks and convenience are seeing a real boom. The long variety is receiving a lot of attention once again, boosted by new cultivation activities in Spain. Here, Hazera recently launched the highly successful Batallón variety for Almería and the Granada region. Mark tells us, “This is a winter variety with excellent color, length and durability, and virus resistance. We are sure that the development in the cultivation of long cucumbers in Spain will have a positive consolidation in other regions with similar growing conditions, such as Greece, Mexico, Oceania and South Africa.”

One of the latest developments is activities to enter the Chinese market, for which Hazera has recently started cultivation activities. Mark tells us, “With our wealth of experience as a solid foundation, our ambition is to incorporate the needs and varieties for the Chinese market into our programs. If we want to establish ourselves as a global specialist, we must be present in this growing market, which is the largest in the world and very open to innovations. China’s cultivation and consumption are very different from those in other regions. Therefore, we must be very attentive and respect the needs and traditions of the Chinese, while offering innovation in our products.” What will the future look like in cucumber for Hazera? Mark replies, “We will extend our farming activities to all important regions for this global harvest. Our rich gene pool will be used to create a genetic diversity perfectly suited to the main production areas. Disease resistance, especially root and viral diseases, will be crucial, and could be a way to avoid costly grafting. We will adapt our varieties to high-yield cultivation techniques. And last but not least, we will develop products that meet the needs of the entire fresh produce chain. The objective is to search for possible innovations to convert bulk products into products that offer greater convenience and ensure greater added value for consumers. After all, they are the ones who consume the final product and for whom we work day after day.”

The tomato is a popular and nutritious fruit that we usually refer to and use regularly as a vegetable. Tomatoes contain a wide variety of nutrient and non-nutrient substances with proven health benefits. These components work together to create the healthy qualities of the tomato.

Tomato components and their health benefits:

Lycopene

Lycopene is a fat-soluble substance found in the blood and in the tissues of the testicles, adrenal glands, liver, prostate, breast, colon, and lungs. Tomato products contain higher concentrations of lycopene than any other plant source, although lycopene is available in other plant foods, such as watermelon, papaya, red grapefruit, and guava.

Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant and may help reduce the risk of some types of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Since lycopene is responsible for giving tomato its red color, the redder the fruit, the greater the amount of lycopene it contains.

Vitamin C

An essential vitamin that also acts as an antioxidant. It can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Vitamin C contributes to the formation of connective tissue, maintains the health of capillaries, thereby preventing minor bruising, and keeping gums healthy. It also helps the body access non-heme iron or iron from herbal sources. A medium-sized tomato supplies almost half of the amount of vitamin C recommended for daily consumption.

Vitamin A

An essential vitamin important for normal cell growth. Helps the development of healthy skin, hair and mucous membranes. Supports proper vision, development of bones and teeth, and reproduction. Tomatoes contain beta-carotene, a phytochemical that the body converts to vitamin A after you consume it.

Vitamin K

An important vitamin for blood clotting, which helps prevent haemorrhage (excessive, uncontrolled bleeding). Vitamin K is also important for bone health through mineralization. Vitamin K can be obtained from foods such as tomatoes, although it can also be produced by bacteria in the intestines.

Potassium

An essential mineral that helps regulate blood pressure and muscle contractions. It can reduce the risk of kidney stones and bone loss.

Dietary fiber

The part of an edible plant resistant to digestion. Dietary fiber can help digestion by preventing constipation. Tomatoes also contain, in smaller amounts, many other vitamins, minerals, and other healthy substances. These include: various B vitamins (including folic acid), vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorous, tryptophan, and protein.

A medium-sized tomato (148 grams) contains the following ratio of recommended daily levels of various nutrients, based on a 2,000-calorie daily diet.