Ventero tomato among the fresh discussions at Fruit Attraction

MADRID, SPAIN (27 October 2010) Lively discussions, interactions and clear market opportunities for vegetables; that is the conclusion drawn by Monsanto’s Vegetable Seeds team after Fruit Attraction 2010.



De Ruiter Seeds’ Ventero tomato’s potential for Spanish producers and northern European retailers was often topic of discussion at the trade show, as well as market opportunities for Seminis’ products like the Cyro line melon range. At the event, Monsanto hosted a special conference dedicated to discussing how the industry can work together to create value.

“Fruit Attraction was the perfect platform to present Monsanto’s Vegetable Seeds Division and its brands, Seminis and De Ruiter Seeds, to the international public that came to Madrid,” said Iberica Chain Manager, David Fernández. “Our team is shifting gears to meet customers’ needs.” Sales representative Manuela Cordeiro was very pleased about the international profile of the visitors of the show: “I have welcomed many Portuguese customers and contacts at our stand and the interaction was very pleasant.”



Create Value Conference
Key topic of the conference organized by Monsanto during Fruit Attraction was how to find opportunities in commoditized markets and create value for the customer. Florent Rezeau of Monsanto’s Consumer Benefits team said: “In order to know the value we can bring to all involved in the produce chain, we need to understand our industry partners and their customers’ needs and challenges. We can only do that by teaming up and sharing our knowledge.”

However, understanding the industry is definitely not enough, it is crucial to understand consumer needs. Maren Schoormans of Monsanto’s Consumer Benefits team: “Monsanto has hosted various consumer panels in the EU to help understand consumers’ perception of the taste and quality of our existing products and product innovations. Together with our industry partners, we can use this information to identify areas for improvement which can help contribute to success across the chain. It will also help us define marketing strategies for new, improved products, like our Ventero tomato and Cyro line melon varieties.” Ventero is a cluster tomato that covers all the needs and creates value for all chain partners, from grower to consumer. Its taste, deep red color, shelf life and fruit quality make it a distinctive and very attractive tomato.