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4 years ago

ThePartnership no. 14

  • Text
  • Vegetable
  • Breeding
  • Growers
  • Pepper
  • Products
  • Zaden
  • Cultivation
  • Enza
  • Partnership
  • Organic

Partnership Where crisp

Partnership Where crisp lettuce and fresh vegetables are served on European tables, it may well be the case that they come from the BEHR GemüseGarten. Rudolf Behr, CEO, is the fourth generation to head the BEHR group of companies. The family business produces not only in Germany, but also at its production site in Spain on a total of 4,000 hectares. This means that consumers can enjoy fresh vitamins the whole year long. For more than 20 years, BEHR AG has worked closely with Enza Zaden, especially in the lettuce segment. The two companies have jointly developed different varieties, conducted growing trials and brought new products to market. What does Rudolf Behr value highly, which of his successes are the most significant, and what characterises them? We are grateful to him for allowing us insight into his philosophy and business activity during an interview at the BEHR production site in Groß-Gerau. Mr Behr, your group of companies has a stable basis in the market – you are market leader in Germany in the areas of iceberg and mini romaine lettuce. How do you manage to be so successful? The consumer sets the tone in the BEHR GemüseGarten Behr: We are on the lookout for new things and love to be surprised. These are the characteristics that typify our company and advance it. For us, innovative thinking and acting is the main basis for successful work. We are happy to try new things – whether in cultivation and harvesting processes, or in developing new lettuce and vegetable varieties, and bringing them onto the market. In this regard, we observe closely what the consumer wants. Because the product must be tasty, and we want the customer to eat it with enjoyment and appetite! After all, they decide what the bestseller will be on the market. That is the way we hit upon the mini-romaine Xanadu. By contrast with the Spanish ‘Little Gem’, which is slightly bitter, Xanadu excels through its outstanding taste. This has made it a favourite with the customers. We travelled the whole road with Enza Zaden – from the first breeding trials via cultivation in Spain up to market introduction in Germany. Joint quality management, supervising the cultivation requirements and also keeping the consumer in mind, was decisive. 30 | The Partnership The Partnership | 31

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