Harvesting Success: Southern Block Farming and Hazera South Africa Growing Together

Established in 2019, Southern Block Farming is nestled in the hot and humid sub-tropical climate of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa on Blair Moore farm. Since its inception, the farm has been committed to cultivating high-quality produce while navigating the unique challenges presented by its environment. Central to this success story has been the strong partnership between Southern Block Farming and Hazera South Africa. Hazera, inspired by nature, brought their expertise to Southern Block Farming from the very start.


The collaboration began with James Kelly, Blair Moore farm’s founder, adopting Hazera’s Ferrara variety for cauliflower and broccoli. Despite the difficulties of growing brassicas during the summer season, the high cut percentage and excellent quality of Ferrara provided James with the perfect foundation for success. With Hazera’s guidance, even the challenging KwaZulu-Natal conditions became manageable.

By supplying varieties that promote healthy lifestyles and ensuring sustainable agricultural practices, Hazera supports not just farms but the communities they feed. This commitment extends globally, but Hazera’s local team—part of a diverse network spanning over 130 countries—demonstrates a deep understanding of regional challenges, delivering tailored solutions to meet Southern Block Farming’s specific needs.

As Southern Block Farming grew, so did their crop diversity. Hazera worked closely with James to phase rotations into his programme, conducting trials on carrots and other crops. These trials exemplified Hazera’s extensive research and their drive to improve yield, quality, and disease resistance. The technical advice provided by Hazera allowed James to identify the best carrot varieties for year-round supply, bolstering his farm’s reputation with buyers.

Events such as Hazera’s Carrot Day further strengthened this collaboration, introducing James to new industry knowledge and the opportunity to expanding his professional network.

Reflecting on the partnership, James stated that he appreciates the strong relationship built on mutual trust and respect. “Hazera’s team has always been by our side, offering advice and support whenever needed. Their commitment to growing together aligns perfectly with our mission,” James says. This trust epitomises Hazera’s promise, ensuring that farmers like James can fully unlock the potential of their seeds.

Drawing inspiration from our growers’ community spirit, nature, and the drive to succeed together, Hazera continues its efforts to support its loyal customers from seed to harvest.

 

Empowering Ethiopian farmers – a successful collaboration between Hazera, JDC and Greenlife

Hazera seeds, together with JDC, the global Jewish humanitarian organization, and its local representative Greenlife, has launched a two-year pilot program in Ethiopia. The project is part of TOV (‘Tikkun Olam Ventures’), JDC’s agricultural development project, that implements innovative agricultural technology (AgTech) to support and advance the businesses of smallholder farmers in developing countries, who currently use traditional farming methods.


Building on JCD’s decades-long and worldwide experience in collaborating with partners and companies such as Hazera, this program has been initiated to aid Ethiopia’s millions of smallholder farmers in increasing their crop yield with the help of AgTech.

Providing the foundation for success

The program started with seven demonstration sites, collaborating with local unions, MOAs and agricultural suppliers. Already in its second year, this collaboration has expanded to dozens of demo sites in targeted areas such as SNNPR, Amhara, and North Shewa to support hundreds of farmers growing tomatoes, onions, and peppers with the use of Israeli drip irrigation and fertilization systems. This technical support leads to enhanced productivity and better lives among the farmers, their families, and wider communities.

Local farmers unions and agribusinesses will also help the farmers get fair prices for their produce in previously untapped markets. TOV successfully managed to create a “Revolving Fund” model, which encourages the unions to adopt directed skillset and gives them the ability to purchase the seeds independently.

Hybrid seeds for a better yield

To achieve success, the JDC and Greenlife teams transfer the cultivational practices and knowledge needed to grow modern hybrid vegetables, with Hazera providing the hybrid seeds suited for the local growing conditions in Ethiopia. The goal of the program is to reach thousands of Ethiopian farmers over the next years.

One of these farmers is Mussa Jemal of Gurage. He shared that “Before partnering with the Greenlife and JDC, I planted local OPV vegetable crops, but since joining the project, I have access to Hazera’s hybrid vegetable seeds and seedlings, including Tomato Galilea, Hot Pepper Serenade Explorer and Onion Russet.”

“On top of these hybrid resources, the project also offers regular technical advice and extension services,” Jemal continued, “I’ve gained knowledge and skills to produce better quality yields by following the recommended agronomic practices and production protocols.”

Jemal proudly noted that based on the crop’s performance in the field, he anticipates a better yield this season.

The power of knowledge

Farmer Awgechew Betere, from Menjar Shenkora of Amhara, describes the importance of the knowledge transfer of the program and how it has helped his business.

“I’m getting regular technical support and extension advice on improving agronomic practices,” he said. “This includes irrigation, monitoring diseases and pests, fertigation, the application of pesticides and staking methods.”

Betere added that “all of this has improved my knowledge and skills in vegetable production. Thanks to the program, I’m sure I will get a better yield and income from the production. Furthermore, many of my neighbors have visited my farm and were motivated to produce hybrid vegetable crops as well next season!”

A fruitful collaboration

“As a leading seeds company in Africa and particularly in Ethiopia, we harness our strength and product portfolio for the good of this enterprise,” said Haggai Breslauer, the Sales Manager for Africa at Hazera. “Supported by our vast experience, we strongly believe that the combination of our added value of higher quality yield and the ability to compete with the challenging growing conditions brings significant advantages to the growers and their communities. This collaboration bears fruits of success, and we are proud to be part of this project!”

ToBRFV in Tomato Plants

by Dr. Yaniv Rotem – Solanaceae Pathologist, Hazera

 

General background

The Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus – ToBRFV – is a relatively new viral disease, first appearing in the Middle East in 2014. The disease has since spread rapidly to many other areas in the world, and currently constitutes a major global problem in tomato crop production worldwide.

In Israel, all tomato production areas have been severely affected by ToBRFV, and the effects of the disease are evident both in the tomato greenhouses and fields, and in the quality and appearance of the fruits which are sold.

 

Symptoms of the disease

As a rule, the symptoms of the disease are similar to the typical symptoms of ToMV, but the severity of the symptoms can differ from that known with ToMV:

  • In the leaves – a mosaic appears, which is particularly noticeable on young leaves and at the growth vertices. In some cases, there is narrowing of the leaflet blade, and in certain cases the leaves become entirely threadlike (“shoestrings”).
  • In the fruit – yellow spots develop which become necrotic at a later stage. In some cases, “chocolate spots” appear on the fruit. In cases of severe damage, the fruit becomes wrinkled and distorted. The virus name (“Brown Rugose Fruit”) was given due to the wrinkled appearance together with the brown spots.
  • Note that in contrast to the characteristic situation when affected by ToMV, in which symptoms generally appear in the fruit only in cases of particularly severe damage to the foliage, in the case of ToBRFV – there is no connection between the severity of damage to the fruit and severity of damage to the foliage: there are situations in which serious damage to the fruit is observed while no symptoms appear on the leaves, or vice versa – cases of severe symptoms in the foliage and lack of symptoms in the fruit.
  • In certain cases – necrosis develops of the calyx of the fruit, the fruit peduncle, and the central spine of the cluster of fruit.
  • When a susceptible variety is infected with ToBRFV, the main damage is a significant weakening of the plant and its capability to produce clusters of fruits over a long season.

In the wake of the viral infection, tomato cultivation in Israel has changed entirely: due to the weakening of the plants, growers currently have almost no possibility to grow tomatoes in a long central season of 9-10 months as was customary before the virus’s appearance; instead, shorter growing seasons of 4-5 months are now customary, intended for harvesting a few clusters only.

 

Symptoms on leaves – severe mosaic and narrowing of some of the leaf lobes, to the point of appearing “thready”

 

Severe symptoms in the fruits

Symptoms of necrosis in the calyx, fruit peduncle and the spine of the cluster

Weakening of the plant as a result of viral infection in a susceptible variety (on right) compared to a variety that is largely similar to it but is resistant to the virus (on left).

 

How is the disease transmitted?

  • ToBRFV is very easily transmitted mechanically – by human contact, by work tools, support wires, or any entity that comes in physical contact with an infected plant or soil that contains the virus and later comes in contact with healthy plants. It is important to remember that particles of this virus are particularly resistant to environmental conditions, and are capable of surviving for long periods in soil or on infected surfaces.
  • Since the virus is capable of surviving in soil for a long period – the virus is also transferred with infected soil that is moved from one place to another (by sticking to shoes, to work tools that are moved from one plot to another, etc.).
  • The virus is transmitted in seeds – a seed produced from an infected plant is likely to carry virus particles on its surface.
  • The virus can also be transmitted by bumble bees, which serve to pollinate during the cultivation process.

 

Prevention and treatment

  • Since the outbreak of the disease, Hazera together with Limagrain Group have been working on a comprehensive study of the issue, in which tomato varieties with intermediate levels of resistance to the virus were developed. The first patent in the world for resistance to ToBRFV was registered by Limagrain in 2017. Using these varieties provides an optimal solution for growing tomatoes in conditions of infections with ToBRFV, while maintaining the varieties performance.
  • Observing phytosanitary rules is key to preventing the disease:
    • Making sure to have clean clothes, jackets and gloves for those entering the greenhouses.
    • Making sure to sterilize all equipment used.
    • Sterilizing shoes in an immersion pit upon entrance to the greenhouse.
    • Being strict about the order in which buildings are entered – the workday begins with the buildings housing the young, healthy plants and continues to the buildings housing the more mature plants.
  • Plants in which infection is discovered should be immediately removed from the greenhouse, being careful to avoid contact with neighboring plants.
  • Using healthy seeds and seedlings is another key to preventing the disease. Hazera is strict about performing health tests in licensed laboratories, according to international standards and the Plant Protection Services. Checking that seeds are free of ToBRFV is done by the ISHI Protocol, which is the international protocol accepted throughout the world.
  • Being strict about good sanitization – sterilizing the soil or growth medium and the greenhouse space when cultivation is completed.

Hazera announces varieties with intermediate resistance (IR) to ToBRFV in pipeline- read about it here

 

Press Release: IR ToBRFV varieties in pipeline

Press release
August 2022

Hazera announces varieties with intermediate resistance (IR) to Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus (ToBRFV) in pipeline

Hazera is proud to announce the launch of our ToBRFV intermediate resistant varieties- the optimal balance between protection and performance– providing the grower an effective tool to face the highly infectious virus, infecting tomato plants, fruit and affecting growers worldwide. The Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus poses a constant threat to growers worldwide, significantly reducing yields, affecting the quality of fruit, and systematically infecting other plants, as it is a very transmittable virus that can infect through soil, tools, water, and people’s contact.

Since ToBRFV hit, Hazera’s R&D team has been working tirelessly to find varieties capable of giving an effective level of ToBRFV resistance without compromising the yield and fruit quality we’ve invested years to perfect. Over the course of several years, Hazera researchers and agronomists invested endless resources to find solutions to address our growers’ needs worldwide. Moreover, according to Alejandro Szechtman, Hazera’s Portfolio Marketing Director, “These efforts included in-depth trials in many locations, under different conditions in a global scale, to confirm that we are able to provide the optimal solutions, with the right balance between performance and ToBRFV protection”.

Hazera is proud to announce a wide ToBRFV resistant variety pipeline worldwide, with which we will be able to tailor-make the optimal solution per market requirement, beginning with Italy, Greece, Spain, Mexico, Turkey, Israel etc’.

Hazera, through Limagrain’s upstream research, contributed to a network of internal and external collaborative discovery projects on ToBRFV using different approaches. This resulted in Limagrain being the first company to file a patent on ToBRFV resistance in tomato in 2017. While the first generation of tomato hybrids resistant to ToBRFV is being commercialized, Limagrain discovery programs continue to work intensively to find resistances against potential emergent more aggressive forms of this devastating virus.

“Our R&D efforts haven’t ended, we’re still investing to achieve higher resistance, and expand our portfolio to the benefit of growers worldwide,” said Szechtman.

Hazera is a global leader in the seed industry. Hazera has headquarters in both the Netherlands and Israel. We operate subsidiaries in 11 countries, together with a distribution network serving over 130 markets. Our partners operate in all kinds of climates, and under diverse growing conditions and market requirements. For over a century, our top priority has been walking alongside them, developing an enormous variety of seeds and providing comprehensive support every step of the way. Hazera’s team of experts works directly with growers to evaluate their needs, assist during variety selection and provide guidance and support throughout the crop cycle.

Hazera is part of the Limagrain Group, an international agri-business based in France. Being a farmers’ cooperative, the Limagrain Group understands the needs of its customers and has grown to become the largest seed company in Europe, specialising in vegetables, field crops and cereal products. Limagrain’s vegetable seed division is the second largest company in the industry.

For more information about ToBRFV, click here

Primed seeds: the next step in top quality onion growing

Hazera has been developing and selling primed onion seeds since 2009. This experience translates into the market as the share of primed seeds is increasing. Many growers are discovering the benefits. Primed seeds can ensure faster crop development after sowing, more uniformity in the crop and final product and better quality onions. That is why it is also interesting for you.

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Camelot – Long lasting quality for your customer

In European supermarkets, the sales of snack tomatoes are increasing rapidly by approx. 20% per year. In The Netherlands, snack tomatoes have a market share of nearly 38%.

“At Hazera we are constantly looking for solutions to tackle the challenges of the supply chain”, says Produce Chain and Business Development Manager, Arjan van Steekelenburg. “We are looking at what’s lacking in the market in order to jump into that space”.

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High quality and high yield, the golden combination for Hazera onions

Hazera, part of Limagrain Group, is a specialist in the development, production and marketing of onion seed. The breeders have been working on strong varieties of excellent quality since the 1950s. The distribution of new, improved onion varieties is a slow process that can sometimes take more than 25 years. It is therefore important to have a good vision of what the market needs. What are the trends?

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