PopFest 2024, the trendy festival hosted by Pop Vriend Seeds from September 24 to 27 on their trial fields in Andijk, had a special significance this year. As of October 1, their name has changed to KWS Vegetables Netherlands B.V., and it was also announced that they are adding new crops to their portfolio: fruiting vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, melons, and watermelons.
Jessie Voois and Jacco Kaarsemaker of Pop Vriend Seeds/KWS Vegetables
In the fields, the performance of the outdoor crops was on display; in the marquee, it only became clear where the breeding company's focus lies: innovation in vegetable seeds and breeding crops that can withstand the most extreme conditions so that the entire vegetable chain can keep running. In addition, KWS Vegetables thinks along until the final product hits the shelf, with innovative concepts for consumers to boost sales.
KWS Vegetables' new crops
During PopFest, not only were the innovations and strategies showcased, but there were also exclusive knowledge sessions on trends and challenges in the sector, such as controlling Pythium in spinach and reducing food waste in the chain. KWS Vegetables thus aims to highlight the importance of knowledge sharing and collaboration throughout the value chain.
Steady Sevens Bean Concept for the Processing Industry
International growth in vegetables
Although the name and house style are changing, the core of the company remains unchanged. KWS Vegetables continues to work with the same teams and continues its strong relationships with growers and chain partners. The familiar Pop Friend spirit will remain visible in expressions, even when packaging will carry KWS' iconic orange from 1 October. "Our mission remains the same: to provide reliable crops that help the entire chain, from grower to retailer, meet market demand," said Jessie Voois of KWS Vegetables.
Theme was Follow the Fresh Trail
Since the collaboration between Pop Vriend Seeds and KWS began in 2019, the company has greatly expanded its international presence. With the opening of 13 breeding stations worldwide and more than 300 new colleagues, the new organization KWS Vegetables has the ambition to be a global leader in the 9 crops they focus on.
The further integration of Pop Friend Seeds into KWS Vegetables marks a major change. The theme of PopFest was 'Follow the Fresh Trail': a call from KWS Vegetables to think together with supply chain partners about key issues of sustainability, climate change, and changing consumer behavior and to approach them with an open mindset. "The key question is: can we explore new, fresh ways to develop solutions together, or is it FRESH? And if it is, we embrace it," Jessie added.
5 leaves of spinach
High five
Just like last year, PopFest showcased the Steady Sevens bean concept for the processing industry and the Magma Collection for the fresh bean market, focusing on the uniformity, predictability, and reliability of the crops. The Spinach 365 solution, which provides uniform, fork-sized spinach year-round, is now available in the United States, Italy, Spain, France, Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Various Spinach 365 varieties cover all major growing regions, ensuring that customers experience consistent supply. Additionally, these varieties are characterized by uniform quality, resulting in efficient processing and packaging. "Our focus is not on the performance of a single variety, but on a range of varieties that complement each other. This is a crucial development that helps us prevent gaps in production," emphasizes Jessie.
8.2% growth in spinach expected in 2030
Spinach is a popular crop and demand for packaged salads, which includes baby spinach, will continue to grow by around 8.2% until 2030. The key growth segment is the so-called 'Fork Size' spinach: small leaves that fit on a fork, suitable to be eaten ready-to-eat as a salad. Anticipating this, KWS Vegetables developed the 'High Five' concept with 5 varieties for the fresh market where 5 instead of 4 fork-size spinach leaves develop on one plant, resulting in 20 percent more yield. They also developed Initio, a seed treatment method that ensures demonstrably better crop emergence of spinach under stressful climate conditions, thus also contributing to consistency of delivery.
Ready-made concepts
At PopFest, KWS also showed several retail concepts that supermarkets could adopt in an instant, for example, the Bean Party, ready-to-eat yellow and green beans in a bag. They also showed other convenience products, such as an air fryer concept with beans, an Asian Meal Soup freshness pack, and precooked beets with a very high brix content that eliminates the need to add sugar to preserve flavor.
Jacco Kaarsemaker
Marketing Communications Manager
Pop Vriend Seeds / KWS Vegetables
Tel: +31 6 550 00 605
[email protected]