“They manage to get the full genetic potential out of this premium variety”

Sera Gemüsering has cooked up something quite special. These growers are truly the only ones growing Kazuti tomatoes from HW Seeds in Germany. “They manage to get the full genetic potential out of this premium variety,” says Roel Huisman of HW Seeds. These tomatoes have already received several accolades, being praised by top chefs and receiving three stars from the International Taste Institute.

Only growers who have a specific license are allowed to grow Kazuti. “This franchise allows customers to build a unique brand,” Roel points out.

The taste experience
The tomatoes tested by the International Taste Institute were grown by Thomas Henninger in the Gemüsering Zorbau greenhouse. Lukas Scholz of Gemüsering says he grows between 30 and 40 tomato varieties in both Zorbau and Schkölen. “At Zorbau, tomatoes are grown under LEDs. During the summer, the cultivation takes place mainly in the Schkölen greenhouse. Thanks to the two sites, we can offer most of our products throughout the year, and this includes Piccolo and Kazuti. This way, we can we go for a dual strategy, which means we can offer tomatoes for two different price segments throughout the year.

The Kazuti variety represents the premium segment for Gemüsering growers. This Kazuti variety stands out thanks to its umami flavor. Many years ago, HW Seeds passed special traits from Japanese varieties into its range. Roel: “The flavor spectrum in Japan is very different from that in the West, and we wanted to bring some of that flavor here.”

Thomas Henninger with Kazuti cherry tomatoes in the greenhouse in Schkölen

Premium
Now, people in Germany, Austria and North America are experiencing this novel Kazuti fragrance. In the US and Canada, Nature Fresh Farms deals in this variety and developed a brand for it: Hiiros. On the other hand, in Germany, premium tomatoes can only be found under the respective retailer’s brand, in 180 or 200 gram carton packaging.

In terms of price, Kazuti tomatoes in Germany are slightly above the average price level of premium cherry tomatoes, Lukas points out. “We want to keep the prices attractive to appeal to as wide an audience as possible. At the same time, keeping production costs under control can be challenging. Despite this, we can to do it in a way that is realistically possible at a competitive price We also believe that high-quality products still have the right to exist He notes that Gemüsering does not observe inflation-related price sensitivity so much in the premium segment, but more in the entry level segment.

Kazuti in German cultivation

Expansion of cultivation in Germany
Kazuti is grown in Zorbau and Schkölen on 1.5 ha each. Scholz: “Interestingly, yields are slightly higher in winter, which is clearly due to lighting, climate control and overall optimal growing conditions. Thanks to the way we handle energy consumption here, we can ensure full lighting in winter on 22/23 and 23/24, while many other greenhouses at home and abroad had to save energy, this is ultimately reflected in our quality, so far we have been extremely satisfied with the value of Brix, fruit texture and weight.

In the traditionally low-light months of February and March, yields tend to be slightly lower, he continues. “In the 27th week, the season closes at Zorbau, until mid-September, when we continue exclusively with our summer production. We have deliberately brought the crop rotation to Zorbau to fully return to the market in autumn.”

The harvest in Schkölen will also be cleaned at the end of November. “We are also investigating whether an area expansion for Kazuti in Zorbau is possible, as we are finding that home-grown premium tomatoes are still popular.”Resistance
At HW Seeds, they welcome any expansion with the already multiple award-winning variety. In addition to the three stars recently earned, the variety won awards in the US and Canada in 2021 and 2022. “And again this year, the variety scored well with consumers resulting in the Good House Keeping Award.”

As the company wins awards, they are also working on new tomato varieties at their breeding site in Winschoten. Currently, one of the main focuses is on resistance to ToBRFV. “The current case is not yet resistant. For our current customers, it’s the taste and quality that matter most at the moment.”

At the same time, several rugose-resistant Kazuti varieties are currently being tested. “We had it tested outdoors at WUR and in a heavily infested greenhouse. There, the resistant variety grew well. With that foundation, we are now working to return those unique characteristics of Kazuti to the resistant version.”

Kazuti, photo via HW Seeds

For more information:
Lukas Scholz
Gemüseproduktion Zorbau GmbH
Patterken 12
06686 Lützen OT Zorbau
+49 34441 44933-0
[email protected]
www.gemueseproduktion-zorbau.de
www.gemueseproduktion-schkoelen.de
www.gemuesering.de

Roel Huisman
HW Seeds BV
Paperbahn 50p
9672BH Winschoten.
+31 (0)6 55 734 732
[email protected]
www.hwseeds.nl