RZ-100-wt4-E-flipbook-240702 - Flipbook - Page 47
Excursion of employees
from the Rotterdam office
to the breeding farm in
19
56
Dubbel blank
Chicory
Bergschenhoek.
Amongst others:
Rijk Zwaan (with cane),
Jan Wesseling, Jan van
de Ven, Hans Duijvelshoff
and Arie Vijn (centre with
hat), 1959.
19
57
Futura
Bean
as follows: ‘Very large cabbage, located deep in
New greenhouses
the leaf, which gives it natural protection from
In order to create sufficient capacity and oppor-
the weather. The structure of the cabbage is very
tunities for the increasing selection activities
rough and lumpy. Each lump is a cabbage in itself’.
aimed at developing new varieties, especially for
One of Rijk Zwaan’s customers is so impressed
greenhouse cultivation, Rijk Zwaan expands the
with the breed and the (financial) results it brings
nursery in the late 1950s. In 1958 a new greenhouse
him that he decides to name his new home after
is added. Four years later, it can rightly be called a
the source of his greatly improved income.
greenhouse complex when a total of 8,000 m2 of
new greenhouse area is commissioned.
But there is also a downside to Flora Blanca’s
The end of the 1950s is an exciting time for
history. Although many people – both supporters
Rijk Zwaan. His company is growing rapidly thanks
and opponents – are puzzled by this, the IVT
to its increasingly strong position in the develop-
decides not to grant Rijk Zwaan the plant breeders’
ment of certain varieties. Meanwhile, his son Jaap
right for the Flora Blanca. Outraged at this injustice,
has joined the company. Jaap has returned from
Rijk Zwaan decides to cross-breed a white flower
the United States, where he had been gaining
Isolation cage in
in all his cauliflower varieties (at the time, almost
experience in the seed business.
Bergschenhoek, 1950.
all cauliflower varieties had yellow flowers) so that
the Rijk Zwaan cauliflower varieties would always be
very distinguishable by their white flowers. However,
the comprehensive programme leads to huge
waste, which only becomes evident many years
later. Besides lettuce and cauliflower, Rijk Zwaan
is also successful with spinach and French beans
during this period.
1955-1956
1945-1960 | Reconstruction | A bitter pill
45
Turnover
FTE
588
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