The silver scales move up and down non-stop. Melons, tomatoes, artichokes and paprikas – the greengrocers at the weekly market in Roermond in the Dutch province of Limburg weigh all possible sorts of vegetable for their customers. Paul Degreef and his wife Mariette also stroll between the stands, just a few hundred meters from the banks of the River Maas.

Such visits to a market are especially interesting for Paul Degreef, since he can observe precisely the changes in what is offered and what customers want. And what is important for shoppers.

The graduate in plant breeding has been in the vegetable sector for 33 years. He worked as a manager at large groups like Bayer and Sakata and directed teams worldwide that developed hundreds of vegetable varieties for markets in Asia, North America and Europe, whether in India, Mexico, Korea or Italy. He knows that, when asked which of hundreds of tomato varieties they feel to be “normal,” people give totally different answers, depending on the region or their personal taste. So breeders have to keep in close touch with the market – and so regularly frequent markets, too.

Investment in a profitable market

Why is the vegetable market so attractive? “A healthy diet and natural lifestyle are growing in importance for many people. Vegetables are a key factor in that.” And an economically powerful one, too: KWS is investing in a profitable market that is growing long term, according to Paul Degreef.

But quite some time will pass before it brings rewards: It will take at least seven years for its own products lines to be available on the market, reckons Paul Degreef.

Acquisitions, licenses and breeding

That’s why it’s first important to create the foundations: “We’re practically plotting everything on the drawing board. First of all, we’re currently looking for and recruiting suitable staff for the breeding stations we’re establishing worldwide.”

Acquisitions are also planned so that the company can cover as many segments in the vegetable sector as possible. 80 employees of the company Pop Vriend Seeds became part of the KWS family in July, for example. The company is steeped in tradition and is based in Andijk in the province of North Holland. By taking over the world market leader for spinach seed, KWS has obtained a highly promising portfolio with many vegetable crops at one stroke. KWS’ largest acquisition in its history is like a springboard to a new segment. Further strategic acquisitions are to follow.

After all, says Paul Degreef, the company aims to start making a name for itself on the market swiftly with licensed varieties: “More and more product lines of our own are to be added over the years.” In that way, KWS intends to make a name for itself as an innovative, high-quality vendor in the vegetable sector as well. Paul Degreef and his team are based in Wageningen, a region that has traditionally been shaped by vegetable cultivation and research. The local university was recently ranked the world’s best in the field of agriculture.

Difference between cereal and vegetable breeding

Resistance and similar qualities of the seed are also core aspects of the future work on KWS’ own vegetable lines. However, the color, feel, smell and many other features of the final product play a major role. “Yield is not the key criterion in vegetable cultivation,” says Paul Degreef. “The consumer immediately sees the result of our breeding in the tomato greenhouse. That’s not the case in a wheat field.” One thing is clear: Breeding sugarbeet, corn and cereals differs greatly from the approach needed for vegetable varieties.

Paul Degreef puts the complex requirements in a nutshell: “Breeding vegetables is like a blend of science and art.” But the effort is worthwhile: Experts assume that the vegetable market will double in size in the next ten years. And KWS aims to get a slice of that market – with spinach, paprika, tomatoes, cucumbers and melons in its future portfolio.