The cocktail tomato with all the right traits
The cocktail tomato has gained a firm foothold in the tomato category in numerous markets over the years. Consumers rely on this tasty truss tomato with an excellent price-quality ratio as the ‘best deal’ for all types of salads. Rijk Zwaan has secured a good position in the cocktail segment thanks to Brioso RZ, because the variety offers precisely what growers and retailers are looking for, explains Marketing Specialist Johan Vis.
“Brioso RZ provides certainty. It’s a flavoursome, aromatic variety with a good yield throughout the whole year thanks to its high truss productivity, including under artificial lighting. The nice, flat trusses make it easy to pack. This dependable variety enables high-tech growers to offer their customers supply reliability. For retailers, the consistently high quality all year round makes the cocktail tomato a must in their fresh produce assortment. They don’t want to disappoint consumers with out of stocks. This variety has been meeting all those expectations for years; that’s its key strength.”
Two breeding aims
“Our breeders are continuously looking for new toppers like Brioso RZ. The tomato category is mature and hence very crowded. Any new variety must be distinctly better than a market’s current reference variety. For each commodity within the tomato category we’re seeking the best variety that offers certainty and high profitability – that’s our primary aim. The second breeding aim is to develop premium products: tomato varieties that stand out by visibly excelling in terms of taste or experience.”
Right positioning
“In both cases, collaboration with partners is the key to success. The right retail positioning depends on a number of aspects coming together; the intrinsic strength of the variety must match the kilo price, the relative price compared with other tomatoes and the packaging. The product can be a success if all those factors are in balance. To achieve this, it’s extremely important to exchange knowledge, experience and – increasingly – data.”
