RZ-100-wt4-E-flipbook-240702 - Flipbook - Page 75
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80
Starlight
Cauliflower
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81
Uniflora
Cucumber
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81
Palmera
Cucumber
Selecting in Spain.
The breeding greenhouse in De Lier.
For horticulture, this is also true in a general sense,
The combination of the emerging high-cost
although far-reaching specialisation has already
biotechnology, the growing interest of multina-
begun in this sector, as described above in this
tionals and the lack of a suitable successor in the
book. The 1980s nonetheless herald a significant
Zwaan family has major consequences for the
change in direction for vegetable breeding
well-performing Rijk Zwaan in the 1980s. In the
companies, but it is not caused by economic
second half of this decade, the De Lier-based
conditions and it has a scientific background.
company loses its independence but regains it after
‘hand-to-hand combat’. The lead-up to these events
The days when plant breeding was based on ‘a
starts in the early 1980s.
feeling’ disappear forever in the 1980s. After hybridisation and tissue culture technology, modern
Initially, there are no signs yet of the events that
biotechnology is now on the horizon. The tech-
will have such an effect on Rijk Zwaan. The compa-
niques involve huge costs and cannot be borne by
ny’s foreign business activities continue to grow
a company like Rijk Zwaan alone. Conversely, it is
steadily after it sets up its own sales organisations
precisely the (chemical) companies – mostly multi-
abroad to replace those already in place. For
nationals – that are involved in biotechnology that
example, Denmark gets its own sales office in 1980.
are interested in a company like Rijk Zwaan with its
Initially covering only Denmark, it soon expands its
rich experience in the field of genetic material.
operations to the rest of Scandinavia.
1980-1986 | Troubled times | A parent
1980-1981
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