The leafy vegetable and brassicas campaign started off chaotically and with great uncertainty for various reasons, although as the weeks went by, ‘normality’ is beginning to return. “It is evident that the reduction of surface area, particularly in brassicas, is due to water availability, low profitability, along with production and labour costs. However, it is not only a local problem, as on the European markets the situation for this campaign looks to be very similar,” Héctor Vidal, a specialist in Product Development of Leafy vegetables and Brassicas at Syngenta, explained to Fruit Today.
The current geopolitical situation, together with high inflation, is having direct repercussions on consumer trends. “Some chains have already informed of the drop in sales of organic produce due to the new economic situation. However, the offer of leafy vegetables such as broccoli is very varied and healthy, offering significant diversity to any type of consumer, meaning that, in principle, consumption should not be affected.”
In the case of Syngenta, seed sales are remaining steady, in line with the general expectations. “In the latest versions, we have diversified and extended our product ranges, which allows us to be less exposed to specific market fluctuations.”
Sources at the company continue to show their commitment to concepts that provide real value to clients and that help them to be more profitable and sustainable, both for the production and for the marketing phases. “We are making a strong commitment to Solid Rib, which is going to start to yield results very soon and we hope this will be a game changer in the business.” This improvement, without any holes in the ribs, prevents losses in the fields due to breakage and provides better conservation, minimising client complaints regarding oxidation.
With regard to this year, the most important new development from Syngenta in the leafy vegetable and brassicas portfolio is Ice Stem, cauliflower stems for harvesting in florets. It is an innovative product, healthy and at the same time, delicious, which promises to delight consumers. “In general, the stems are around 10-15 cm long; they have a very tender texture, even when eaten raw, with a very smooth, pleasant flavour.” This innovative nature has been endorsed by the bronze medal at the prestigious Innovation Awards Fruit Logística 2022, two years after the YOOM® tomato won the Innovation Award in 2019.
Looking to the future, the priority lines marked out by the company’s R&D department seriously take climate change into account. “This year we have seen how summer temperatures reached record figures and at the moment this autumn is following the same lines. The increase in temperatures, water shortages, and respect for the environment… have already become challenges in the short term, and they are going to turn into restrictions in the long run. For this reason, at Syngenta we are working on finding solutions, with varieties that tolerate the heat better and use water more efficiently, without losing any quality, in addition to being resistant to ‘traditional’ diseases such as downy mildew, complementing our range with resistance to Fusarium, a problem that is clearly on the rise at present.”
