Vegetable Seed Catalogue

138 | Enza

138 | Enza Zaden

Africa and the Middle East the power of a multilocal company The vegetable market in the Middle East is volatile. There is a rapidly growing population of over three hundred million people. Because of the increasing disease pressure, the demand for more resistances is high. Water shortage will lead to the demand for more salt-tolerant crops in the future. To be successful in this region, having an attitude of flexibility in times of change is crucial. Enza Zaden has a regional team in Jordan and Egypt, which brings us close to the market and its developments. The Balkans, Greece, Turkey, Algeria and Iran are all part of a region characterised by a diversified product programme and extremely different cultures. Due to the many different cultures, an adaptable and flexible working attitude is needed. The Mediterranean climate has a great impact on the social life of the region, family values for example take on a different character and meaning. Success depends on the products we can offer and the people we work with. It is important to work together with the distributors and take into account the ethics of the country. Together with the breeding teams, we are developing products for all the different markets. Consumption of vegetables is very high in the region, and many different types are available to the consumer. Africa is a very diverse market where the international focus is on food safety; meaning governments are heavily involved in breeding and supplying the population with staple food crops such as maize, sorghum and rice, nutritious vegetables get little attention. Consumers, traders and growers are beginning to look for vegetables that were not present in the traditional dishes, and the demand for quality is increasing rapidly. Enza Zaden has a strong presence and wide range of activities in South Africa, we supply varieties in all the crop categories present in this catalogue. Enza Zaden is becoming more active in the Southern and East African markets, where we are building up networks of strong and reliable distributors who will identify the varieties which can add value to the local food chain. Enza Zaden | 139