Vegetable Seed Catalogue

44 | Enza

44 | Enza Zaden

Southern Europe the power of a multilocal company Southern Europe is the winter market garden for the whole of Western Europe and beyond. Italy, Spain, Morocco and Turkey are the four major horticultural markets producing greenhouse and open field fresh vegetables from autumn through the winter and into late spring for the needs of the hungry consumers in Europe as a whole. The Enza Zaden key research facilities are located in the major vegetable production regions of Spain, Italy and Turkey, where we can benefit from local knowledge and understanding of the needs of growers and consumers alike. By working directly in the main markets we can expose our genetic material to the scrutiny of the markets directly. We breed in the greenhouse crops of tomato, pepper, cucumber and eggplant, and the open field crops of squash, melon, lettuce, cauliflower and many other smaller crops. At our research facility in Italy, in Tarquinia just north of Rome, we have a very active breeding programme in two very local species groups, namely radicchio and fennel. This is just one example of how we use the full international research facilities of Enza Zaden and apply it to significant local crops. Italy is a ‘traditional’ vegetable producing country with many generations of experience. The portfolio of types and varieties is huge, making it an enormous challenge to make a success of our business in all the types and segments. Turkey is also a very ‘traditional’ Mediterranean vegetable producing market. Winter production under protected greenhouse conditions is found all around the coast from Izmir in the Northwest to Mersin in the East. Enza Zaden’s strategic research station located in Antalya is the source of new, exciting varieties adaptable to the local market and countries in the close vicinity. Enza Zaden | 45