Bayer CropScience and Reitzel Groupe to expand sustainable production of high-quality gherkins in India

Bayer CropScience and Reitzel Groupe, an international food company located in Aigle/Switzerland, plan to expand their collaboration on the sustainable production of high-quality gherkins to all contract farmers of Reitzel India. A respective Letter of Intent was signed at the Fruit Logistica in Berlin, Germany.

Since 2009, both partners have been working together in this food chain partnership project. The aim of the project is to improve the yield and the quality of gherkins by developing and implementing good agricultural practices (GAP), working on the frame of sustainable agriculture and food safety regulations.

In this partnership, Bayer CropScience offers Reitzel and Indian farmers innovative crop protection solutions and technical expertise. In order to preserve natural resources, farmers have been advised and trained on GAP including modern cultivation methods, the safe use of crop protection products and improved water management. Nunhems, Bayer CropScience’s vegetable seed business, provides Ajax, a high-yielding hybrid gherkin variety with good processing qualities.

Reitzel’s agri-technicians support farmers with expertise on gherkin cultivation, trade requirements and customer specifications. This partnership helps to ensure a continuous supply of fresh and high-quality gherkins to the Reitzel factories in India and France as well as for the export to various countries. The Indian farmers benefit by a substantial increase of their income and the French consumer by all-year availability of fresh and healthy gherkins.

"This collaboration with a global company like Bayer CropScience demonstrates our commitment to the Indian gherkin industry”, commented Bernard Poupon, CEO of Reitzel Groupe. “Contract farming with Reitzel technicians’ advice and Bayer agronomical support is considered to be the most appropriate method of growing gherkins. This supports growers in their efforts to market their goods locally and internationally.”

"Sustainable agriculture is vital to fulfill consumer’s expectation in terms of food freshness, quality, safety and traceability”, said Frank Garnier, CEO of Bayer CropScience France. “The results of this successful partnership enable us to promote the food chain partnership approach in France, and to communicate this success to the key players.”

Christine Brunel-Ligneau, Global Food Chain Manager at Bayer CropScience, added: “We are delighted to collaborate with a dynamic partner like Reitzel to develop innovative and sustainable solutions which meet the growing demand for fresh gherkins.”