On the 28th of September, Semillas Fitó organised a seminar at the ‘Cocina de Ideas’ innovation centre to analyse the contribution being made by seed companies to the agrifood chain
According to Xavier Fitó, manager of the Fruit and Vegetable Division, when a consumer purchases a tomato in Madrid, London or Buenos Aires, only 1% of the price paid corresponds to the value of the seed. Looking at this from another point of view, this means that with the value of a kilo of tomato seeds, which reaches an average price of 75,000 euros, a farmer produces tomatoes for a value of 2.5 million euros and this production generates a final value of 7.5 million euros, once they are sold in a supermarket.
For Fitó, it is important to give greater value to the R&D work carried out by the seed companies, which devote no less than 20% of their total budgets to innovation, in order to be able to offer seeds that respond both to the demands made by producers and those made by consumers. It must not be forgotten that this 1% of the final value of a tomato corresponding to the seed is a very important value, since it is the seed that provides the productive characteristics that make the product profitable for the farmer and incorporate the organoleptic qualities that make it appetising for consumers.
The partnership agreement between Semillas Fitó and Cocina de Ideas, the innovation centre created by Huercasa and that is going to provide Fitó with all the knowledge necessary from the point of view of the processing industry, is within this idea of vastly improving what a seed can offer the agrifood chain.
Tom Lombaerts, Chain Manager at Semillas Fitó, opted for a continuous increase in consumption of fruit and vegetables that must be accompanied by working alongside all the links in the chain to make the purchase of these products more dynamic. The commitment to creating varieties of fruit and vegetables with their own brand name, such as Monterosa and Essentia tomatoes or Waikiki melons, will be one of the keys to future growth. A brand name means high quality must be upheld and it is a commitment to consumers, who if they like it and the quality is upheld, are going to continue buying this product.
