Vitalis has increased its demand thanks to a range that brings added value for the most conscientious consumers
In the United States there is no obligation to use ecological seeds to produce ‘eco’ fruit and vegetables; however, Wholesum, a producer company that adds the Born by Vitalis stamp to some of its products, indicates that its range comes from 100% eco seeds. “This is not a passing trend, there is greater awareness by consumers who want to be more informed about what they are eating”, and this is translated into a greater demand, according to the Head of Marketing from Vitalis, Daisy Kroon. The subsidiary of Enza Zaden, an authorised supplier of ecological seeds, is a company that is registered on MAPAMA for supplying eco vegetable seeds and it has become a reference point in a flourishing segment. Its most important market is the USA, although it is also present in Germany, France and Holland; and, on a national level, the demand for eco peppers is growing in Cartagena and Almeria, as well as for lettuces and cauliflowers (‘Not CMS’), as is emphasised by Myriam López, head of Vitalis in Spain.
Most of its national sales are concentrated in Almeria and Murcia: the snack pepper Tribelli, the tomato Tomazur and its mini version, and the EasyQ’s cucumbers, all of them in organic versions. The cucumber is the product with the best sales evolution. In the standard format there are four varieties that cover all cycles. They have the same characteristics as the conventional seeds (but produced using an eco system) and they also have triple resistance (yellowing, mosaic virus and yellow veins). Altanero, for early cycle, offers quality and resistance, and stands out due to its significant adaptation to high temperatures, which allows continuous setting and a good percentage of regrowth and very dark-coloured fruit. Pampero, for the middle cycle, is highly productive and has significant regrowth capacity, with very dark-coloured fruit. Poniente, for late sowing, is characterised by its high consistency and long shelf life. And Levantino has high production and quality in high temperature conditions, to which is added an excellent post-harvest.
