"A great opportunity to exchange ideas and present our new resistant tomato varieties"

For the first time, BASF | Nunhems brought together its tomato grower partners for a day of technical exchanges and varietal discoveries at the C.A.T.É in Saint-Pol-de-Léon, France. It was a day rich in knowledge-sharing and interaction, which attracted a great deal of interest from the participants. "We are very pleased with the results of this day, which attracted around 50 professionals," reports Barbara Jodeau, communications manager at Nunhems France.

"The day was held in a rather remote location in the Finistère department, so there was a certain probability that local producers would be the most represented. However, professionals from all over the region and from the entire sector turned up. We had a superb day, made all the more enjoyable by the fact that the weather was perfect at a time when so many people elsewhere were suffering from the heatwave."

"The results were conclusive, encouraging us to repeat the experience", the team says. "We want to organize more and more days like this. It is not just an opportunity to showcase our range of varieties, but it is also a good way for professionals to talk about issues that interest and fascinate them. We started by presenting the technical results of our new varieties. Talks were also given by two Dutch colleagues. The first, an agronomist, Geert Janssen, gave an overview of the ToBRFV virus, including its history, how it appeared, how it expresses itself and all the related technical aspects, as well as the solutions we have to date. It was an opportunity to present our genetic solutions for combating ToBRFV, with the resistant varieties we are developing. The interaction on the subject prompted many questions and helped to reassure the audience.

Cees Ammerlaan, head of Tomato Product Development, presented our range of varieties, including four new high-potential vine and cherry tomato varieties. Among them: Showvine, which combines high yield, earliness and a very attractive presentation in bunches. Our new "Nugget" is NUN 8607*, a premium cherry tomato combining resistance to ToBRFV and powdery mildew. It completes the cherry tomato range with Vitalion and Culturion, which have caught the interest of many growers. These new varieties are also really interesting for their taste, with high brix levels, lots of flavor and the crunchy texture of a fruit."

Another highlight of the event was a talk by Olivier Dauvers, a journalist specialized in mass retailing (RTL, M6), who explained how consumption has evolved so far and the trends of tomorrow. His presentation sparked a lively discussion on the links between production and retailing. The meeting ended in a friendly atmosphere, conducive to discussions on the current and future challenges facing the tomato sector.

For more information:
Barbara Jodeau
BASF | Nunhems
Phone: +33(0)6 75 22 98 42
barbara.jodeau@basf.com