The new tomato varieties with TYLCV tolerance introduced in Guangxi Province in China, will enable the farmers to reduce the amount of chemicals used in the current heavy spray regime and will, eventually, contribute greatly to the health of the people. Our presence in Guangxi province has been changed enormously since Chen Qi Sen, Zeraim Gedera’s Marketing and Technical support in that province, has joined our team in China last year. Guangxi province, in the south of China, is an enormous agricultural area with more than 200,000 farmers and a vast potential tomato market, one of the areas where Zeraim Gedera started its activities recently.

The tomato varieties sold in this area, which covers 800,000 Mu (Chinese unit of measurement; 1 MU = 0.066 hectare) include Trofeo, Hadar and Amanda, and some new Zeraim Gedera’s varieties which are highly tolerance to TYLCV, such as Scarlet and Ruby. Each variety is strong in different qualities. For example, our Trofeo variety has high yield, long shelf life and a good fruit shape uniformity. Hadar is a strong recommended variety in Guangxi Province due to its beautiful color, fruit shape and size uniformity and because it is an early variety. Amanda is gaining its popularity due to its very early maturity characteristic. Chen says that the Company’s new tomato varieties sold in China, Scarlet and Ruby, have increased their market share due to high yield and tolerance to TYLCV, which has recently become a severe problem in that area.

A few months ago, Zeraim Gedera set up a new office in Tianyang County, next to the wholesale market. The office has begun operating at full speed, helping the Company build strong relationships with local farmers, introducing them to the Company and its varieties. “Many people know our varieties but did not know that it is Zeraim Gedera’s”, says Chen. “Now, when a local farmer arrives to the place and sees a big sign of the Company’s office there, he learns to recognize our varieties with the name Zeraim Gedera. More so, they come to the office to consult about the varieties and other agro-technical questions they encounter”. Chen has organized an open day for tomato farmers in Guangxi last March. “The farmers appreciate that a lot, more than 200 attended the open day aiming to achieve best results in the growing of the Company’s tomato varieties”, says Chen.

Chen explores the Company’s message in a very creative way. In addition to our daily marketing activities, he found the way to explore our Company brand and product in the Chinese way, and received a good respond to it. Part of Chen's affective advertising includs a billboard on the local wholesale market building and posters on ferries crossing the Province river and lakes (photo on the left), and local taxi motorcycles. Zeraim Gedera persists in developing varieties that will provide better solutions for the farmers, such as climate adaptability. Our extensive range of disease and pest resistance, including TYLCV tolerance, will enable the farmers to reduce the amount of chemicals used in the current heavy spray regime and will eventually contribute greatly to the health of the people. In addition, Zeraim Gedera is also providing free technical support for the local farmers, helping them to maximize the Company’s variety potential.

For further information, you are welcome to contact Chen at QiSen@zeraim.com or at the office: 86-776-3489988