Varietal explanation of Syngenta’s candy and snack tomatoes. – Photo: Peter Visser
Seed companies Syngenta, Incotec and Enza are investing heavily in their locations in Enkhuizen. Testing for diseases and resistances is an important reason.
Syngenta sees the demand for disease-free and strong varieties increasing. “We are doing more and more in that area. We test seeds for health and quality, so that they have the vigor we assume. That there is no virus in it. Our activities are growing, that is why we are blowing up the current laboratory on all sides, which will be a lot bigger,” said Jan Willem Griep, director of Syngenta Netherlands, in an explanation.
Griep says that the new construction plans do not respond to the possible future admission of new breeding techniques. “That is separate from this. We are following this development closely and will act according to reason when the time is right.”
New technologies
North Holland media parties NH Nieuws and WEEFF list the investment plans of three leading parties Syngenta, Incotec and Enza. They will all invest millions in expanding their capacity in Enkhuizen. The seed companies are seeing major growth in demand for vegetable seeds from all over the world, but at the same time more new research is also needed into disease-free seeds and varieties that can cope with climate change.
For Enza Zaden, the municipality of Enkhuizen seems to agree to expansion. The stakes are high. The changing climate requires vegetable varieties that are resistant to extreme weather conditions and diseases. To achieve this, new technologies are needed that can accelerate the development of these varieties and sustainable cultivation methods, the municipality previously stated. Only once the zoning change has been completed can Enza say something about the new techniques it wants to apply.
Incotec wants to move its location in Zwaagdijk to Enkhuizen and has renovation plans for this.