By: Dr. Moshe Bar / R&D Manager / moshe@zeraim.co.il
In order to strengthen Zeraim Gedera’s breeding abilities in the company’s strategic markets, to shorten time-to-market and get the right products in the marketplace, we decided, during 2004, to found R&D breeding stations in some of those markets, such as Mexico, China, and Spain.
Establishing a station enables breeding teams to focus on the local environmental conditions and to develop suitable products for this market, rather than breeding in Israel, where environment conditions are different.
The objectives of the R&D stations
- Develop, select, and adapt the most suitable varieties for the local market.
- Develop vegetables varieties that meet the dynamic needs of the market through innovations and creativity.
- Develop innovative and new products for specific market needs.
- Improve the breeder team’s capacity to breed for resistance to local pathogens, especially those that do not exist in Israel, by establishing phytopathological and molecular markers laboratories.
- Strengthen the company’s position in strategic markets.
- Protect the company’s intellectual property.
The market penetration strategy will be partially performed by breeding varieties at the R&D local station to create a high correlation between the products and the local growing conditions, thereby shortening time-to-market.
At the stations, breeding is, and will be, performed according to the company’s product profile. Breeding will be executed while adapting products to the local environmental conditions and will be carried out by local breeding teams (company employees) under the supervision of the breeders at the parent company.
In addition to breeding, the station will contain demonstration plots to enable customers to observe varieties of local crops and hold open days for marketing purposes.
The R & D Station in Mexico –
For the past two decades, Mexico has been one of the main growing areas supplying fresh vegetables to the United States. In order to strengthen its position in this market and to breed tailor made varieties for the North American market, in 2005, Zeraim Gedera established a breeding station in Culiacan Valley, the Mexican state of Sinaloa.
The Zeraim Mexico station manager is responsible for the station’s day-to-day management. The breeding station has been used for both research and breeding purposes and to demonstrate our various commercial products to clients.
Juan Manuel Nuno from our R&D staff in Mexico coordinates the breeding work. He is both the breeder assistant on the farm and is also responsible for all screening trials conducted among farmers.
The R&D Station includes open field, net houses and greenhouse cultivation on a total of three-hectare site, which supports tomato, pepper, cucumber and squash breeding programs.
R&D Station in China –
The incredible rapid Chinese economic development and the rising demand for top-quality produce obliges us to respond and have the required products for this strategic market on time. Therefore, Zeraim Gedera plans to establish an R&D breeding station in Shandong Province during 2007. The Zeraim Hong Kong station manager will be responsible for the day-to-day management. The breeding station will be used for both research and breeding purposes and to demonstrate our various commercial products to clients.
Liu Xue from our R&D staff in China will coordinate the breeding work. She works as the breeder assistant and is also responsible for screening trials conducted among farmers.
The R&D station will initially include four to six Chinese greenhouses to support tomato, pepper and cucumber breeding programs.
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