The vulnerability of Cocktail tomatoes on the vine to the ToBRFV virus and the technical challenges involved in their production have led most Moroccan growers to abandon them, creating an opportunity in the European market. This is according to Abderrahmane Zouhir, CEO of Krone F&V. The grower explains how he introduced this category this season.
© Krone F&V
Zouhir says, "Cocktail tomatoes on the vine are more susceptible to ToBRFV than other tomato varieties. What's more, they can only be grown in certain regions of Morocco, particularly in Agadir, where the climate is favorable. They are difficult to work with because they require very delicate handling and are very sensitive to heat. Most Moroccan growers have decided to remove them from their catalog, and there is a shortage of cocktail tomatoes on vines in the European market. This opportunity prompted us at Krone F&V to introduce them for the first time this season. We are pleased to announce that our first harvest for this commercial-scale trial has been successful."
The grower adds that he has identified a variety of cocktail tomatoes recently launched on the market that show a certain resistance to ToBRFV. He continues, "Of course, this comes at the expense of yields, which are lower than those of older varieties, because with ToBRFV, we always have to prioritize either Brix, volume, or size."
© Krone F&V
"We conducted this first commercial trial on six ha, for a volume of 400 tonnes this season. Our campaign for this variety runs from October to March, a period of high demand in Europe, although technically it can extend until June. Classified as premium, this variety is intended directly for the retail market. We anticipate solid demand mainly in the Dutch market, followed by Germany, France, and Eastern Europe," he continues.
Zouhir shares that he delivered his first shipment of the season of cocktail tomatoes on vines to France last week. He concludes, "We are satisfied with the prices given the supply gap. It's been a successful trial and we're going to move up a gear with an expansion to 20 hectares next season, for which we are actively seeking contracts."
For more information:
Abderrahmane Zouhir
Krone F&V
Tel: +212 600-179737
Email: [email protected]
www.krone-fv.com
