Yuksel Seeds will participate for the fourth consecutive year in the Fruitnet Tomato Congress, which will take place on 5 and 6 November at the facilities of La Palma cooperative on the coast of Granada. The company will attend as a sponsor and exhibitor and will also contribute to the conference programme through Nico Van Vliet, Downstream Integration Lead at Yuksel Seeds.
Organised by Fruitnet, the congress will bring together growers, marketers, distributors and seed companies over two days to analyse developments in the international tomato business. The programme will combine presentations, expert panels and networking opportunities, together with technical visits to production facilities in the area.
A story to drive ribbed tomato consumption
Nico Van Vliet’s presentation, titled “The role of storytelling in driving premium ribbed tomato consumption”, will address one of the key challenges facing the category: communicating the product’s added value to consumers beyond its organoleptic characteristics.
The company starts from the premise that ribbed tomatoes need to build a narrative capable of explaining their attributes and creating sales arguments for the different links in the supply chain. The presentation will examine current perceptions of the category and explore how data obtained in the field and laboratory can be transformed into communication and marketing tools.
Van Vliet will also address the marketing potential of second-category tomatoes through different formats, with the aim of adjusting prices, broadening access to different consumer profiles and reducing food waste.
Another topic on the agenda will be the role of music at the point of sale. According to a GEMA study cited by the company, its use can contribute to increasing sales by around 8%.
Sweetloom takes centre stage in the portfolio
During the congress, Yuksel Seeds will showcase a selection of its tomato varieties. Within the ribbed tomato segment, Sweetloom, its purple ribbed tomato, will be one of the main highlights. The variety was recognised by the International Taste Institute in 2025 and received the distinction again in 2026.
The company’s ribbed tomato portfolio is completed by Tobrossa, a pink ribbed variety, and Tobchoco and Amortoma, both oxheart types.
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The company’s portfolio also includes the pear tomatoes Marcus and Octavius, as well as the cherry varieties Tiziano, Minizano and the Glow series, comprising Red Glow, White Glow and Yellow Glow.
A significant part of this portfolio incorporates resistance to tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV), one of the sector’s main plant health concerns.
Fourth year at the Tomato Congress
For Francisco Sabio, Country Manager of Yuksel Seeds Spain, participation in the congress provides an opportunity to meet once again with the main players in the tomato business and bring the debate closer to the field.
“Returning to the Tomato Congress means sitting down again with the people driving the tomato sector, and doing so in Granada, surrounded by production, brings the conversation much closer to the field. This year, we do not want to talk only about varieties, but also about how to sell them. Ribbed tomatoes have a lot to say, and Nico’s presentation puts data on the table to help us do that,” he said.
The company also thanked Fruitnet for the opportunity to participate as both an exhibitor and speaker and is approaching the event as part of its strategy for innovation in tomatoes.
With its presence at the Tomato Congress, Yuksel Seeds strengthens its position in the segment and is already looking ahead to its next major international event: Fruit Logistica 2027 in Berlin.
