Innovation is the only way to stay ahead of the game. That is why South African growing companies, supermarket chain Woolworths and Rijk Zwaan collaborated closely to bring customers something special in both the core fruit and the prepared fruit category: yellow watermelon Tropical Sunshine RZ. “It stands out because of its colour and amazing taste.”

“Tatayoyo® is not just a pepper; it’s a versatile innovative ingredient that can transform dishes,” says Andrea Alvarez from fresh produce company UNICA. Since last year, the award-winning pepper is also being sold at retailer LIDL. “We highly value the close cooperation with Rijk Zwaan and UNICA to bring this to our shelves,” says Boyd Muijs, Vice President of Fresh Purchasing International at LIDL. Innovation and collaboration are just two reasons why Andrea and Boyd are so enthusiastic about this groundbreaking new concept.

By working in partnership with Rijk Zwaan, growers gain early access to the newest resistant varieties. This is of strategic importance to help them meet retailers’ needs and add value for consumers. One example is Anizalla RZ, the new ToBRFV-resistant mini-plum truss variety that is already being grown commercially for sale in Germany and the UK. “We care about bringing varieties to the retail market that add value for consumers in terms of flavour and visual appeal,” says Maarten van der Leeden, Client Manager Sales at Rijk Zwaan in the Netherlands.

In the future, will there still be a sufficient supply of fresh fruits and vegetables, every day and all year round? As climate change and resource shortages mean that availability can no longer be taken for granted, supply chain concerns are increasing among supermarkets. “Growers and retailers can count on our commitment to innovative long-term solutions,” say Rijk Zwaan’s Jan Doldersum and Ingeborg Kleijer.

Growers’ organisation FreshValley, based in the Dutch town of Sevenum, only started producing snack cucumber Quantario RZ in 2024 – and it is already a success. Sales Manager Teun van Roosmalen is proud of the partnership with Rijk Zwaan. “Together, we can get more and more European supermarkets interested. This healthy snack enables them to make their very youngest customers happy.”

Rijk Zwaan’s presence at Fruit Logistica 2025 shows its commitment to driving innovation and collaboration in the fruit and vegetable sector. From 5-7 February in Berlin (Hall 1.2, Stand D-13), the fruit and vegetable breeding company will engage with visitors and business partners to share its latest product innovations and insights.

The R&D top 30, highlighting the most innovative companies in the Netherlands, has been published on 6 December. Rijk Zwaan proudly holds the 11th position.

On 1 December, Martijn Eggink joined the Rijk Zwaan board of directors, succeeding Kees Reinink. Martijn Eggink is now one of the three members of the fruit and vegetable breeding company’s board, along with Ben Tax and Marco van Leeuwen.

During the Modern Buyer RO-Fruit and Vegetables show on the 21th of November Tatayoyo once again secured an award, this time the notable Best Product Award. This achievement follows its earlier triumph at the Fruit Logistica Innovation Award in 2023 and its maximum three stars rating at the International Taste Quality Institute Award (ITQI) in both participating years 2021 and 2024, further cementing Tatayoyo's reputation for excellence.