Zeraim has developed an orange-coloured pear tomato variety and another for on-the-vine harvesting.
The heart-shaped pear tomato from Zeraim has been leading its segment for over a decade and now it is extending its range with different formats that seek to bring new experiences, maintaining its flagship’s seal of identity. On the one hand, there is an orange variety that is very eye-catching, with a perfect size for markets that require heavier pieces. Fleshy and with a low juice level, this variety produces new sensory input and extends cooking possibilities.
The second new development is a material to be harvested on the vine, which brings diversification within the pear segment. “Farmers see its advantages because harvesting is quicker and it also has characteristics such as good firmness and shelf-life and no skin problems (such as micro cracking). Therefore, customers recognise the heart-shape and benefit from the feeling of freshness that the vine brings,” explains Rafael Salinas, tomato manager in Spain and Portugal. Along with the abovementioned materials, they have another two varieties in a pre-introduction phase that are very similar to Caniles, in an attempt to improve this by increasing the size in spring-summer and also maximising production.
At Fruit Attraction, the seed company will present these new developments and will continue to strengthen the promotion of Caniles, a tomato that “stands alone” thanks to its many qualities: colour, firmness, easy handling, pest resistance, perfect for transport, very versatile in the kitchen… Due to all these reasons, it is already being grown at all times and in all regions (it was introduced in the summer a few years’ ago to ensure year-round supply) and it has found a gap in the market in destination countries that are looking for medium-sized fruit and it is “eating up the round tomato’s market.”
“Consumers know it and recognise it. It is the leader by a long shot and it continues to grow on the markets in England, Germany, Norway, Sweden… this is where it is really showing its potential and is rising to the challenge.”
