News

This year again, we were happy to host visitors from all over Africa in Arusha, Tanzania, for our International Field Days. A quick overview in this video !

Rijk Zwaan has launched its first three commercial squash varieties. The breeding company offers a complete market solution under its own identity, with outstanding fruit quality.

Rijk Zwaan will be able to expand its research activities as one of the partners of the Crops of the Future Collaborative. This new public-private consortium is convened by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR, located in the USA) and has research on leafy vegetables as one of its points of attention.

Rijk Zwaan's Red Jet F1 sweet pepper variety has been a successful hit for TAHA member farmers in Tanzania. With the professional assistance from TAHA and the Red Jet seeds from Rijk Zwaan, these farmers recently harvested the first produce of this quality high yielding variety.

On Friday 10 February 2017, the Fruit Logistica Innovation Award was presented for the eleventh time. Over 70,000 visitors to the trade fair were invited to vote for their favourite out of the ten nominees, and Rijk Zwaan is extremely honoured and proud to announce that Knox™ emerged as the winner.

Bejo and Rijk Zwaan have signed an agreement for the exchange of non-exclusive licenses for patented traits in vegetables. This exchange will enable the two vegetable breeding companies to strengthen their innovative capacities and introduce improved varieties more quickly.

Vegetable breeding company Rijk Zwaan has introduced its first hybrid varieties for African eggplant. These have numerous advantages over varieties that are traditionally grown in Africa and will enable farmers to generate a better income for themselves. Rijk Zwaan spent almost 10 years working on the development of these varieties and is now selling the first seeds on a commercial basis.

Vegetable breeding company Rijk Zwaan is establishing a permanent ‘experience centre’ in Berlin to inform and inspire its international retail partners. The new Retail Center will be one of Rijk Zwaan’s two chosen themes during the upcoming Fruit Logistica. The other will be Knox™, a trait that delays pinking in fresh cut lettuce and that has been officially nominated for the Fruit Logistica Innovation Award 2017.

Vegetable breeding company Rijk Zwaan has embarked on an extensive new-build project at its Eerste Kruisweg site in Fijnaart. Former director Anton van Doornmalen drove the first stake into the ground.

Rijk Zwaan Zaadteelt en Zaadhandel generated 388 million euros in net sales in the 2015/2016 financial year, representing a 14% increase on the previous financial year. Rijk Zwaan continues to pursue a strategy of autonomous growth. This enables the family-owned company from the Dutch town of De Lier to compete with listed multinationals while also offering its employees an enjoyable and long-term job.