Author: avishag

Did you know that tomatoes are among the world’s most popular vegetable crops? EU farmers alone produce around 17 million metric tons every year. COVID-19 has been an important driver of this thriving market: global retail sales of fresh tomatoes rose 17.6% in 2020, as people were forced to eat at home. At Hazera, tomatoes have a special place in our heart, and we offer hundreds of different varieties to farmers worldwide. Below, Alejandro Szechtman, Portfolio Marketing Director Tomato, sheds light on the challenges and opportunities facing the tomato sector today.

Alejandro Szechtman

Changing consumer tastes
Key to the popularity of tomatoes is the range of options available. Right now, we see rising demand for convenient snack tomatoes. Smaller tomatoes require more harvesting labor, which can be a challenge given today’s tough economic climate and tight labor market.

Meanwhile, consumers are increasingly ‘buying local’ to help the environment. But growing Mediterranean-quality fruits in northern Europe, for example, hasn’t always been easy. Now, thanks to Hazera’s experience and in-depth R&D, tastier tomatoes are available for more of the year. In parallel, we’re working with exporters to develop varieties with a longer transport life.

Automation opportunities
As manual labor declines in the tomato sector, we’re seeing farmers turn to automated, digitalized solutions to make production easier and faster. The resulting energy, cost, and resource efficiencies are extremely welcome in an industry where profits are often unpredictable. Automation is therefore an exciting area for investment, and we at Hazera are always working on R&D to make the dream solutions of the future a reality for the growers who need them.

Addressing the impact of climate change
A hotter climate will negatively affect plant growth and increase the risk of disease, making it harder to meet growing global demand.
Hazera is working on solutions to help farmers prevent and overcome the effects of climate change. Not only are we breeding more adaptable varieties with higher drought and heat tolerance, but we’re also collaborating with growers to design and implement technologies to save water during irrigation.

Meeting your tomato needs
A Hazera, We’re world leaders in tomatoes, with a huge portfolio of varieties available. We draw on our decades of knowledge and experience to support growers around the globe to make their operations sustainable, so consumers can continue to enjoy top-quality tomatoes for many years to come.

Looking for answers or advice about tomato production? Contact us today!

Since May 19^th   2022, Ofer Peleg is the new Deputy CEO of Hazera. He will lead sales, supply chain, production and IT. “We have great ‘DNA’ in Hazera, but also opportunities and potential to become a well-integrated company and realize solid and robust processes.”

Ofer, fifty years old, lives near Tel Aviv, together with his wife and three children, aged 21, 18 and 13. He is used to work for several leading  companies in multicultural and dynamic environments. “I started as an industrial engineer in the pharma industry, and stayed there for about twenty years. At Teva pharmaceuticals, the Israeli global generic leader, I served in various positions in both R&D and Operations, where my last role was to manage three large facilities in Europe, for that role I moved with my family to Amsterdam for two years. After that I became vice-president of the Global supply chain at Sun pharmaceuticals , a global Indian pharma company. In the last four years I was the vice-president of the Global supply chain at Netafim, a global leader in precision irrigation. “At Netafim I focused on the same customers and ambition as Hazera; helping farmers to get the best out of their crops for both quantity and quality.”

Go the extra mile
“I got a very warm welcome, both at Hazera and Limagrain, there is a strong sense of partnership. The people I have met enjoy their profession and are very enthusiastic, willing to go above and beyond  to serve our customers. They know that by doing so, they are making the world a better place. Shortly after I started at Hazera, I was lucky to meet many of my colleagues at the annual Limagrain conference in Prague.

Marathon run
“I just started my learning, there is a huge knowhow and great professionalism here” says Ofer. But our competitors are not waiting for us, and we have to be agile, flexible and focus on quality. We can’t stop, not even for a minute; we are running a marathon and we want to finish first. There is also an opportunity for becoming a well-integrated company and realizing solid and robust processes.”

Way of working
“We produce seeds all over the world; How can we do this as efficient as possible? What is our optimal footprint?, How to optimize our inventory?  How can we  leverage our capabilities?  In my former positions I have helped answering similar kinds of questions. I’m looking forward to share my experience and contribute to Hazera.”