Consumer behaviour changes very quickly. Eating at any time of the day has become the norm. At the same time, people want to eat healthy, tasty food. "There has been a massive growth in the demand for snack vegetables over the past five years. Not only in volumes but also in demand for diversity. With our snack assortment - shared via our label, MyCubies.com - Rijk Zwaan is setting the trend when it comes to snack cucumbers", he says.
New varieties
"We initially introduced the green snack cucumber, the Quarto RZ. These weigh between 40 and 45 grammes and are available from various Dutch and Belgian growers. Our range has now been extended to include new varieties. These are the mint green Quinton RZ and the two-toned Quirk RZ. There is also the OneBite-cucumber, the Quatrino RZ, which weighs only 15 grammes. We want to use new colours, shapes, and sizes to keep making new, innovative concepts available", continues Maarten.
MyCubies
Rijk Zwaan recently set up a marketing campaign for the MyCubies label. Product experience is central to this. "Images, an online film, and packaging concepts have been developed for this. The emphasis is on 'The fresh and healthy choice'. Our partners can use these communication tools, or parts thereof, for their promotions in the chain."
Rijk Zwaan recently set up a marketing campaign for the MyCubies label. Product experience is central to this. "Images, an online film, and packaging concepts have been developed for this. The emphasis is on 'The fresh and healthy choice'. Our partners can use these communication tools, or parts thereof, for their promotions in the chain."
Better in sandwiches
Maarten continues, "Our small-core cucumber, 24-250 RZ, is another innovation which is relevant to, mainly, the convenience market: a cucumber with a smaller core and a higher dry matter content. Since the slices or cubes 'leak' less, they are better to use in ready-to-eat sandwiches and fresh salads."
Wok cucumbers
"Consumer interest in foreign cuisines is also increasing. Rijk Zwaan sees that, for example, in Dutch supermarkets, sushi is being freshly prepared. Stir-fries are also becoming more popular. A cucumber variety that lends itself well to being used in Asian stir-fry dishes is our wok cucumber, 27-103 RZ. This is an excellent greenhouse variety. The fruit is drier, crunchier, and spinier than regular cucumbers. In this way, we are bringing exotic cuisine to the Western market. Although this innovation is in its early stages, we see opportunities."
"Growers who are interested in this different cucumber variety can be inspired by taste tests in our demo greenhouse. We have more than just this variety to offer. We can also handle communication and marketing together", concludes Maarten.