fitonews-22

Nº 22

December 2019

s n o i t a l u t a r g n o C ! o c i x Me ARANTÍ A •G

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10 A Ñ O S MÉ XIC O

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EDITORIAL According to a Chinese proverb, if you want to go fast, go alone but if you want to go far, go together. When the seed sector gets together at conferences, we are applying this philosophy. And lately we are doing it a lot: we had the Euroseeds Congress at the beginning of October, the meetings of the ISF (International Seed Federation) recently and, at the end of November, the APSA (Asia-Pacific) congress. One of the main conclusions we can draw from all these events is that the seed sector is looking down the value chain: both seed dealers and supermarkets are on our radars and, even if it is hard to believe, we are on theirs.

This is happening because further down the value chain someone is demanding transparency and we have to learn to live with it. Transparency can contribute to building reputation and trust, but the lack of it damages the trust we need to build in the food industry to fulfil what is expected of us.

This trend affects us, since this transparency means sharing information, being ready in case someone asks about what we do, being prepared in case someone questions us about how we generate biodiversity in our breeding programmes, or whether we produce our seeds in compliance with international and local labour legislation, or reflect on the ethics of our business actions.

Semillas FitĂł is a company built to last.

Next year we will celebrate our 140th anniversary and this shows that we have a long-term vision, since many of the decisions that were made in the past would not make sense if those who made them had only thought in the short term. Now it’s our turn. If we want to stand the test of time, we have to learn to take decisions differently, knowing that the information will be shared with other actors in the value chain.

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PROXIMITY

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FITÓWEEK BUCHAREST 2019 Between 26 and 28 June we celebrated the fifth edition of Fitóweek for Eastern Europe, the perfect occasion to strengthen the relationship with our main distributors and demonstrate the yield potential and quality of our vegetable varieties catalogue.

This year we met in Bucharest (Romania) with the main Eastern Europe distributors coming from 13 different countries. To celebrate this edition we had the support of our distributor in the area, Marcoser, and we visited a field demonstration in Băleni-Sârbi, 70 km from the capital.

Of special interest in the field were the Runner and Motril tomatoes, the Valira pepper, the Passion cucumber and the Pascal courgette.

Apart from the day in the field, the event also consisted of individual meetings with distributors to close the year and start planning the next campaign. These meetings are very useful for exchanging opinions about the yield of varieties and the specific needs of each market. At Semillas Fitó we place special emphasis on maintaining our relationships with our distributors by cooperating closely with them.

The general feedback from the more than 40 attendees at the event was very satisfactory and this encourages us to continue working to maintain good long-term business relationships.

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SUCCESS OF THE MELON AND WATERMELON FIELD DAYS IN MURCIA We demonstrated our solutions to complete the production cycle in all melon segments in Lobosillo, Murcia.

Once again, this year we organized the Melon and Watermelon Field Days in Lobosillo (Murcia) to show the different actors in the agrifood chain (producers, technicians from cooperatives, retailers and supermarkets) in the field both the commercial varieties that are already on the market and the new varieties that will be introduced in the coming campaigns. This year, the field days focused on presenting the main objective of the entire R&D&I team: completing the different melon segments with top-level varieties to cover the entire production cycle in the region of Murcia.

The clearest example of this objective is the Santa Claus melon segment, in which we are leaders with our varieties in the Region of Murcia. For early sowing, throughout the whole of March, we offer the Paredes variety and for medium sowing we have the Kanela,, which is very popular with farmers. For medium sowing, throughout the month of April, we have introduced the Ceferino in this campaign, a melon that incorporates a complete package of resistance against powdery mildew and aphids and stands out for its high yield and great flavour. The Ceferino produces a vigorous, balanced plant which sets easily and which provides oval-shaped fruits, featuring longitudinal patterns, very well marked bedding and excellent flavour with high Brix degrees.

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Another new development of this campaign is the Arroyo variety, ideal for late sowing, which is a Santa Claus melon with a traditional flavour and a complete package of resistances against powdery mildew and aphids. Arroyo presents a medium-high vigorous plant, which sets easily in groups and produces a medium-sized fruit perfect for boxing, with an attractive longitudinal pattern, sweet flesh and excellent flavour, as well as good post-harvest performance.

Also shown in the field during the Melon and Watermelon field days were the yellow melon varieties, a segment where we have a winning trio for the whole cycle: the Robleo variety has become established for early sowing, offering precocity, yield and size and providing firm flesh which is crispy and very juicy, with excellent post-harvest performance. For medium sowing the leader is Soleares, which stands out for its precocity and its intense yellow colour. And for later sowing the we offer the Cristiano variety, a yellow melon that provides the producer with significant kilos without being over-sized.

In the cantaloupe segment for open-field crops we have the Loire variety, which is the best variety of in terms of flavour and flesh quality and makes it stand out in the market. In the galia segment we presented the Azevo, a traditional variety with very good preservation and post-harvest performance.

In the Branco melon category we presented Ferreira and Pias, the leading varieties in Portugal, which are also produced in Murcia in the open field and which we recommend sowing in the first few weeks of March.

Finally, in watermelon we presented a variety which is currently in its pre-commercial phase and will be launched on the market after excellent results in the field. Specifically, the SAT15015 variety (pending registration of its trade name), which is a triploid black watermelon that stands out for its taste and is ideal for greenhouse production in Almeria and for early transplants in Murcia.

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DEMONSTRATION TO THE PRESS OF OUR NEW QUALITY PROTOCOLS We invited 9 journalists from 7 Spanish media outlets to our production centre in Llavaneres and showed them our new quality protocols to prevent communicable diseases by seed and guarantee pathogen-free production.

In September we started the new season with a visit from 9 journalists from technical media outlets specializing in agriculture to whom we talked about "How to prevent the transmission of diseases by seed in plant breeding”.

The day began in Barcelona, where Xavier Fitó, Director of Vegetable Seeds, provided an overview of worldwide seed movements and the impact of this on the Spanish horticultural sector.

Fitó News 22 Proximity

Anna Maria Viles, head of quality control, was next to speak and she was asked several questions by the journalists about the procedures and legislation in force regarding the quality control of seeds.

Juan Jesús Narváez, head of Seed Technology and Quality Process, then spoke about our recent GSPP certification and the implementation of new quality systems to ensure best practices in seed management and the prevention of bacterial contamination mainly in tomato seeds.

The day ended at our production centre in Llavaneres, where Víctor Sancho (Global Seed Supply Manager) and Francisco Castañeda (Global Operations Manager) provide a guided tour of the centre, demonstrating the processes and the new protocols implemented to ensure the health of the seed and prevent contamination by the Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus (ToBRFV).

These types of activities with journalists give visibility to the best practices that are carried out in the sector in general and in our company in particular and help to transmit trust to our customers.

The result of this action has been very positive, since all the invited media outlets published articles about the day, as did other media outlets that did not attend but also wanted to disseminate the information.

WHAT IS THE TOMATO BROWN RUGOSE FRUIT VIRUS (ToBRFV)?

ToBRFV (Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus) is a virus of the genus Tobamovirus, which also includes the tobacco mosaic virus and the tomato mosaic virus. It mainly affects the Solanaceae family (tomato, pepper and aubergine).

This virus remains very stable outside the host plant, which means that the viral particles can survive in crop remains, in the soil, utensils, lines of greenhouses or seedbeds for months or years. It can be spread very easily during production operations.

The ToBRFV virus is transmitted through contact (contaminated tools, hands, clothing, direct contact from plant to plant) and propagating material (grafts, cuttings). This type of virus from the tobamovirus family can remain infective in seeds, plant remains and contaminated soil for months or years even after disinfection. It can spread quickly and have a devastating effect in the greenhouse.

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FRUIT ATTRACTION 2019 We attended the main international fruit and vegetable fair with a Fitó Foodture stand.

Fruit Attraction is the worldwide sector meeting point for the professional fruit and vegetable community, held in Madrid.

The 2019 edition brought together 1,800 directly exhibiting companies and 90,000 professionals from 130 countries.

It is the first time we attended the fair without the Semillas Fitó brand. This year we were present 100% with the Foodture concept and the result was very positive.

Our stand, inspired by the hygge style, conveyed warmth as well as innovation and aroused great curiosity among the attendees.

Our main objective was to communicate the variety of brands developed under the Fitó Foodture umbrella: brands that focus on the end consumer and the consumer of the future to meet their needs, such as Monterosa, Waikiki, Essentia, Tomacó, Finggerino... as well as new ones: Crü and the Monterosa Collection.

The attendees at the fair were able to taste the new products and learn about the project with the Foodture team who were there: Jordi Ballester, Tom Lombaerts, Dario Antonante and José Cárdenas.

The sales team of the vegetable division were also present at the fair to ensure they are up to date with the latest trends in the sector and to talk with customers and people interested in our professional seed varieties.

Crü is a different courgette on the outside, with very mottled skin, and attractive on the inside thanks to its colour and very mild flavour. It is ideal for eating raw or for use in healthy recipes. It is a very striking new option for the raw, vegetarian, vegan and flexitarian world.

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The Monterosa Collection is an evolution of the well-known Monterosa tomato. There are now three new varieties in three different colours with three new flavours and textures that serve as inspiration for foodies such as Chef David Andrés, Chef of the Michelin star restaurant Via Veneto and image of the Monterosa Collection brand.

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EXPERIENCE

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Congratulations!

ARANTÍ A •G

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Semillas Fitó Mexico celebrates its 10th anniversary

10 A Ñ O S MÉ XIC O

In 2006 Semillas Fitó México began operations with the hiring of the first sales technician in Mexico. From that moment, the company became firmly committed to setting up a subsidiary in Mexico, which was finally established in 2009.

Since then, it has continued to invest in the subsidiary in order to improve and optimize the processes, as a result of which the company created a sales office in Culiacán and subsequently built and began operating a research centre in the same Sinaloan city. The Mexican subsidiary currently employs 29 professionals, 8 of which belong to the sales area for Mexico and the rest are distributed between Corporate and R&D.

TEAM

Fitó Mexico sales team: Danny Montoya, Fernando León, Martín Verdugo, Luís Miguel Bórguez, Alejandro Lugo, Toni Cabrero, Aaron Blanco, Marthell Baez, Jesús Arturo Ramos and Rogelio López.

The Semillas Fitó México subsidiary currently employs personnel in the following areas: sales (8 people), R&D (17 people) and corporate (4 people). These areas are aligned in order to improve processes and provide a quality service to our end consumer.

Semillas Fitó México has always strived to create new work areas through team projects, based on clear objectives, for which we have a comprehensive and very competitive professional team to meet and satisfy the current demands of the Mexican market.

Our team is complemented by the skills and values of each of the people who integrate it and it boasts, above all, a great teamworking environment with everyone pulling together in support to move in whatever direction is necessary.

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Semillas Fitó Mexico celebrates its 10th anniversary

Toni Cabrero, LATAM Vegetable Seeds Sales Director and promoter of the Mexican subsidiary, explains the keys to growth.

EVOLUTION 1.- What pillars have guided the growth strategy of Semillas Fitó in Mexico?

The first analysis we did to design an effective growth strategy was to identify the various possible options, choose the most viable and allocate the necessary resources to carry it out.

We relied on 4 pillars: • Setting a growth objective. For this, we performed a retrospective analysis of the main business variables in recent years, identified trends and anticipated the evolution of the market, in order to set a viable, attainable and sustainable objective.

• We defined the strategy would help us achieve it. How did we do this? After carrying out a SWAT analysis of the business we designed an action plan, which was nothing more than a mix that would reinforce our strengths and improve our weaknesses to enable us to achieve the set objective.

2.- What has been the main challenge we have faced?

I wouldn’t say there has been a main challenge, rather several challenges each with their degree of significance. On a personal level, in terms of management, it has been to see whether we were capable of leading such a challenging project from some geographical distance. And to achieve this, all those involved in the project have been making a huge effort over these last few years to build and consolidate a team aligned and motivated to face all the challenges of the immediate future.

• Customer portfolio management. It is very important that you know the profile of your customers in order to successfully apply the strategies which you are going to focus on. Today we have a fairly healthy customer portfolio, which is the result of that proximity and knowledge.

Another big challenge that we faced at the beginning was to get the Mexican market to perceive us as a partner capable of offering genetic solutions that could provide answers to its needs, as well as generators of new business opportunities, in a very competitive and complicated market where, when we arrived, many of our competitors were already well established.

• Monitoring the strategy. Every year, during and at the end of the campaigns, we carry out a follow up and analysis to validate the evolution of the strategy and thus be able to correct, change or eliminate those actions that are not working. Keep in mind that we are in a very dynamic and changing market, affected by many factors, some of which we cannot control.

To our satisfaction, I have to say that we have not only been able to grow, lead, innovate, build loyalty etc. but also create a professionally recognized brand image, both among our customers and among our competitors. We are an ambitious project, we still have a long way to go, and we continue to set ourselves challenges to overcome in the future.

Semillas Fitó Mexico celebrates its 10th anniversary

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4.- What impact can Fitó México's growth have on the rest of Latin America?

3.- How has Fitó México become a leader in the cucumber market?

It hasn’t been easy, but there has been some great team work behind it, which I can sum up in 2 basic pillars: genetics + people.

There have been several factors that have contributed to achieving our leadership in this species. Preliminary market research work, where we asked ourselves several questions, such as: What do customers really need and want?

What are their real motivations? What drivers create value for them? In which segments can we capture more value? Are we able to generate the maximum amount of information useful for breeding? Can we generate and build a loyal base? Who are our competitors and how might they act? What is the potential for the market and its evolution in the coming years?

This prior analysis has provided the R&D&I department with the basic knowledge to align and focus its programmes on the search for those varieties capable of complying with the requirements demanded by the market, and enabled the sales team, with its experience and knowledge of the market, to know how to develop, promote and position these varieties to eventually become leaders. Our strategy is aimed at reinforcing and strengthening this notoriety and, to achieve this, this year we launched the campaign "The Star Range”. *For more information see the section Did you know...? (p. 31)

I think it has an important impact at the company level, as it is the subsidiary with the highest growth in recent years and with many possibilities to continue doing so in the future. Focusing more on Latin America, it should first be noted that the advances in technology and customer needs continually creates new market opportunities. That said, bearing in mind that, within Latin America, Mexico is the most mature and evolved market and has increasingly more demanding customers in terms of quality and innovation (USA, Canada), it will become a yardstick for rest of the Latin American markets. This will help us, as well as Semillas Fitó, to try to implement some of the strategies and convince other markets of our success either by generating new business opportunities, by introducing new already established and leading products, or by taking advantage of synergies in terms of breeding programmes, and especially for projecting a reliable brand image, in view of the results, which will enable us to be an attractive partner in these markets. As these markets become aware of the benefits that certain biotechnological and crop management improvements can bring, and along with an increase in the level of demand from consumers, Mexico can become a benchmark market, as Almería has in many markets in Europe and the Maghreb. And for us it will be a positive phenomenon.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank all my colleagues at Semillas Fitó and Fitó México, from all the departments, who have participated during these 10 years in the consolidation and growth of this project. Without their participation and commitment it would not have been possible to get to where we are today. And I encourage everyone to continue in this way, as we have a lot to do, and there are ambitious challenges for us to face and overcome together. Thank you to all of you!!!!"

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Semillas Fitó Mexico celebrates its 10th anniversary

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Introduction of Slicer Zeus Cucumber

2018

First generation of beef tomatoes

2017 2016

Generation of competitive varieties in American Cucumber for export

2015 2014 Leader in Pickle Cucumber

Creation of Experimental Station

2013 2013

Leaders in National Slicer Cucumber

Leader in Persian Cucumber

2012 2011

Leaders in Eggplant

Leaders in Lamuyo Pepper

2010 2009 2008

Leaders in European Cucumber Change in the growing of Eggplant from O.F. to Protected

Creation Semillas Fitó México Today we can say with certainty that Semillas Fitó México has contributed some important agricultural changes to the Mexican market: from the transition from growing aubergine and lamuyo pepper in the open field, to transforming most of this area under protected cultivation, revolutionizing important factors in the market such as increased yield and quality of fruit.

Semillas Fitó Mexico celebrates its 10th anniversary

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FUTURE Without a doubt, our most pressing challenge is to maintain our aforementioned leadership position in certain varieties and continue working on the research and development of products such as tomatoes, peppers, melons and watermelons until they generate varieties that provide better business conditions for the current market in Mexico.

Alejandro Lugo, Area Manager for Mexico, shares his thoughts about the future of the subsidiary: How do you see Fitó México in 10 years?

I believe that the objective of Semillas Fitó Mexico in the next 10 years is to be the most important global subsidiary within Semillas Fitó, since we have already created the foundations to support this objective, such as the team, the development of varieties, and the care and quality in each of our processes.

Which markets do we want to penetrate in the short term?

Without a doubt, our pending issues are the tomato and bell pepper markets. We have enough tools to quickly and effectively deploy ourselves commercially in these varieties.

How do you predict that Fitó México's team will change in the future?

Semillas Fitó México will need to change to align itself with the needs of the market and our objectives. Currently we have made a major change in increasingly sectorizing and specializing each of the Mexico divisions. These types of actions will be replicated more and more hierarchically.

What do you think should be the priority of Fitó Mexico at this time?

I have always considered myself a professionally aggressive person in terms of objectives and my experience up to now leads me to believe that in order to grow, our priority should always be to consolidate our current achievements and, once consolidated, aspire to new challenges that add to our previous achievements.

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SWEET CORN SCREENING Presenting our sweet corn varieties in Valladolid.

Last September our Agribusiness team organized the 2019 sweet corn screening in Castilla y Leรณn. There we presented our commercial varieties and the new material that is being evaluated this year. We showed off our leading varieties SF 201, SF 681 and SF 1282, as well as the new ones SF 1280, SF 1379 and SF1470.

Our team, with the support of El Campo and Huercasa, carried out the screening for customers from Spain, Turkey, France, Morocco and Senegal.

These sorts of events allow us to publicize our varieties in the field and strengthen relations with our customers.

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5 A DAY ASSOCIATION We have joined the 5 a Day association to promote the consumption of fruit and vegetables.

"5 a day" is an international movement that promotes the consumption of at least 5 servings of fruit and vegetables a day. It emerged in the United States in 1989 in response to the worrying deterioration of the population's eating habits, which showed a notable decrease in the consumption of fruit and vegetables and therefore a higher risk of suffering from different diseases.

It is now present in more than forty countries on five continents and is the largest initiative that promotes the consumption of fruit and vegetables in the world.

Moreover, it has the support of international organizations such as the World Health Organization, FAO and the European Institute for Cancer Research, as well as other forums and organizations that promote the importance of a balanced diet as a decisive factor in the prevention of the most significant diseases.

In Spain, this initiative is managed by a non-profit national association. Since 1998, more than 100,000 schoolchildren have visited Mercabarna in Barcelona as part of this initiative that promotes healthy eating habits.

Coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the promotion of this initiative in Spain, Semillas Fitó has decided to join this association, which is made up of different production, sales and service companies in the food sector.

The objectives of all the 5 a day Associations and Movements worldwide are: Support the national policies of the different member associations Promote collaboration between health promotion entities around the world Encourage governments to support “5 a day” movements in promoting the consumption of fruit and vegetables Consolidate promotional strategies to achieve public health goals Educate the world population in healthy habits Strengthen the primary sector

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INNOVATION

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1ST FITÓ FAMILY DAY On October 5 we celebrated for the first Fitó Family Day at the Llavaneras facilities.

This first day had a double objective: first, we wanted to provide the children of the employees participating in the day with their first contact with the agricultural sector and with our company’s activity; and second, we wanted to bring colleagues and their respective relatives together on a Saturday to share the day in a relaxed and fun atmosphere.

To meet the second objective, once the visit to the work centre was over, we organized a joint meal that allowed us to get to know each other a little better while spending a moment sharing the two sides to our live that we work so hard to reconcile: our personal and working lives. Meanwhile, our children were able to use a play area set up especially for that purpose.

To fulfil the first objective, and with the help of the team at the Llavaneras centre - especially Oriol and Oumar -, we toured the work centre facilities, starting with the meeting room where our children played a game where they had to guess the variety from the seeds they were shown; and they even got to look inside the greenhouses, where they were able to observe in situ how the process of flower hybridization is carried out. At the end of this visit several workshops were held where our children were able to take part in various activities such as: transplanting from the seedbed to the sacks, manual and automated extraction of melon seeds, extraction of pepper seeds by aspiration, etc. Once these workshops were over, we finished the visit by touring the newly acquired property attached to Llavaneras, where we were able to walk through the new lands and visit the organic garden and our neighbour’s farm.

Overall the first Fitó Family Day was a great success, both for our children, who for a couple of hours were able to swap screen time for some of the activities specific to our sector; and for our partners and/or companions, who were able to enjoy the hospitality received and our working environment; and also for the employees who were able to enjoy spending time in the company in a different way.

Manel Aranda (Human Resources) tells us: "Personally, I felt very proud to be able to show my company to my family while at the same time presenting my family to the company”.

We will soon start working on new events such as this in the future.

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SEEDS FREE OF PLANT PROTECTION PRODUCTS As of 1 November 2019, all Semillas Fitรณ Solanaceae and cucurbit seeds will be sold free of plant protection products.

This new measure meets the growing demands of society to reduce pesticide use and preserve the environment and complies with current European regulations. This is another step towards the fulfilment of the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations.

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Regulatory Framework: • The European Commission decided by means of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1500 of 9 October 2018, not to renew the approval of the active substance thiram. This Regulation establishes 1 February 2020 as the deadline for ending the sale and sowing of seeds treated with this active substance.

• The European Directive on the Sustainable Use of Plant Protection Products dictates in Article 14 that “Member States shall take all necessary measures to promote low pesticide-input pest management, giving wherever possible priority to non-chemical methods”.

Society and its institutions are demanding that the horticultural production sector make an effort to find solutions that minimize the impact of plant protection products on the environment and guarantee consumer safety.

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At Semillas Fitó we understand that any measure that helps to achieve this objective from the beginning to the end of the crop cycle must be introduced where necessary. That is why we have made the decision not only to adopt the EC regulations that limit the use of thiram, but to go one step further, eliminating plant protection agents from all our Solanaceae and cucurbit seeds.

For now we will continue to treat legume and sweet corn seeds with the authorized fungicides that are effective until we have alternatives that guarantee a lower impact on the environment.

How do we approach this new challenge?

To face up to this new challenge we have increased our efforts in prevention and control up to the point our products are shipped. Seed production and extraction systems have been improved and we have incorporated the latest detection methods in our Quality Control laboratory to confirm that the seed is free of all fungi.

As a result, we are ready to stop selling treated cucurbit and Solanaceae seeds from 01/11/2019, although it is possible that for a few weeks, thiram-treated seed will be supplied until our stocks run out.

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Fitó News 22 Innovation

MEXICO PRESENTS ITS PREVENTION MEASURES AGAINST THE RUGOSE VIRUS The Mexican subsidiary hosted its seminars on “Prevention measures against the Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus in Mexico” to inform its customers about the measures being taken in this regard.

On 19 September, our colleagues from the Mexican subsidiary invited customers from different areas in the country to seminars where it informed them of the current situation regarding the Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus (ToBRFV), as well as the prevention measures that the company is taking.

The first seminar had the honour of having Irrigation Specialist Agronomist, Alonso Valle, as guest speaker.

He consults on more than 14 high, medium and low technology greenhouses, and also teaches courses and conferences by Intagri and Capaciagro. Alonso Valle is a protected horticulture specialist by the University of Almeria, Spain and has more than 20 years of experience as a head grower and similar positions.

During his lecture "Nutrition in tomato cultivation" he talked about the ideal characteristics that a crop must have to be in optimal condition. He highlighted which actions, tools, climate, irrigation, workforce and management are best adopted for maximum crop health.

It was very interesting, since during the talk real cases and situations were discussed, which will allow the attendees to apply practical measures once they return to their work area.

Fitรณ News 22 Innovation

Also speaking at the conference was Anna Maria Viles, with a degree in Biology specializing in plant physiology and phytopathology from the University of Barcelona, who is currently responsible for the quality control department at the central office of Semillas Fitรณ in Barcelona. Anna Maria has more than 28 years of experience in the company and also represents the company in the ISHI-Veg forum, which is under the auspices of the ISF. Anna Maria Viles talked about the importance of her work. In her own words she stated that "My job consists of ensuring that the seed that leaves Fitรณ meets the expectations of the customer, guaranteeing a seed that is free of any pathogen transmitted by seed and that meets the highest standards of germination and vigour". During the talk she also explained the rigorous prevention measures, as well as the analyses carried out within the department, to prevent the spread of the virus. In addition to this, she gave an overview of the current situation of the virus, as well as an action plan to prevent it.

After a farewell message from the Area Manager for Mexico, Alejandro Lugo, followed by a banquet for the attendees, the seminars were brought to a close thanking the attendees for their presence and hoping to see them again in future events.

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Discover a garden full of possibilities

NEW IMAGE FOR EUROGARDEN Designed with today’s consumer in mind and with a new collection of Superfoods Our goal at the Hobby unit is to bring the world of gardening closer to the public, offering quality seeds to an amateur market. To achieve this we adapt to the needs of each type of customer to ensure profitability, which is why we have two brands: Fitó Hobby and Eurogarden.

During 2018 we renewed the corporate image of Fitó Hobby making it more modern and appealing. In 2019 it was the turn of Eurogarden; a brand created for sale in large DIY stores, garden centres and specialized food stores. Designed for a more urban amateur audience, we wanted to give Eurogarden a fresher and more attractive look starting with the logo.

Simplified shapes

The same brand colour

Restyled font

The same distinctive shape

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The next step was to revamp the design of the envelopes of our seed range. To make them more attractive and visual for the consumer, we have given more prominence to the photographs of the product and have simplified the content so it is more useful and intuitive for all those new garden enthusiasts.

In addition, each collection has its own colour so that the consumer can easily differentiate them on the shelves thanks to their striking and fashionable colours.

To present this new image for Eurogarden we chose the Flower & Garden Attraction in Madrid, an event that is part of Fruit Attraction fair that took place in October. We also took the opportunity to launch the brand’s new collection; a collection of Superfood seeds for people to grow at home and enjoy all the nutritional benefits.

Why a Superfood seed collection?

Because it responds to a growing market trend • The “grow your own” concept is here to stay. Urban gardens in our cities have multiplied by 15 in the last 17 years.

• The consumer is increasingly aware of the importance of introducing healthy and locally grown products in their diet. More than 27% of consumers are willing to include more superfoods in their shopping basket as part of a healthy diet.

Because we are committed to a new differentiating concept • Innovative collection in the seed category.

• Varieties of superfoods available to consumers.

• We believe that quality is found at the source and that is why we guarantee maximum quality in our seeds.

• Growing from seed enables consumers to enjoy the experience of growing their own food and appreciating its value.

10 varieties of 100% natural organic food seeds containing high amounts of minerals and nutrients essential for the proper functioning of our body

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FITÓ FAMILY

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NEW HIRES Francisco Fernández Global Operations Manager

Facility: Llavaneras (Maresme).

Hobbies: Everything related to the sea, agronomy, travel and music.

Dàmaris Moreno

Vegetable seeds communications technician

José Cárdenas

Facility: Barcelona.

Hobbies: The mountains and yoga.

Produce Chain Manager

Facility: Almería.

Hobbies: Sport and decor.

Jorge Trujillo Crop Technician

Facility: Almería.

Hobbies: Cycling and photography.

Jenniffer Guzmán Agricultural technician

Facility: Cabrera de Mar. Hobbies: Trekking.

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Newborns MARTINA

ESTEFANÍA

14/06/2019

She is the first daughter of David Contreras, Production officer at Barbens.

07/08/2019

She is the daughter of Fany Iñiguez, an agricultural labourer in Almería. She was born the same day as her brother Juan Antonio, but twelve years later. At least they can celebrate together saving their parents an extra birthday!

DEKRA

VEGA

10/10/2019

She is the daughter of Mustapha Sakoum, Operations Officer in Barbens, and little sister of Marwa.

FITOKU

13/10/2019

She is the daughter of David Estefanía, agribusiness sales technician, and sister of Millán. At the moment she is a very calm baby, but very nocturnal.

WORD SEARCH Find 5 Superfood products

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Fitó News 22 Fitó Family

31

DID YOU KNOW... ... we have launched the star range of cucumber for Mexico?

EUROPEAN ZAPATA, ESTRADA AND REBECCA

PICKLE MAXIMO

BURGER GHERKIN TOM AND JERRY

PERSIAN CAMIL, YEKTA AND ENSENADA

SLICER CENTAUR, TELMO, ZEUS AND CENTENARIO

Semillas Fitó leads the cucumber market in Mexico and for the first time offers varieties that can cover all the typologies demanded by the market.

As Toni Cabrero states, “This range has been completed thanks to prior market research which was submitted to the R&D&I department so it could align and focus its programmes on the search for those varieties capable of complying with the requirements demanded by the market, and with the sales team so that, with its experience and knowledge of the market, it could develop, promote and position these varieties to eventually become leaders. This strategy is aimed at reinforcing and strengthening our notoriety and, to achieve this, this year we have launched the campaign "The Star Range”.

When you think about harvesting cucumber, think Semillas Fitó Our 10 years of experience in the Mexican market guarantee the success of our varieties, as recognized by our customers, who define us with these words: trust, quality and service.

www.semillasfito.com