Brasil
Name: Fabrício Costa Turquete
Age: 39 years old
Location: EFFA Agribusiness, in Carandaí/MG
Crops: Carrot, Red Beet, Corn and Soy
Number of hectares: 360 ha irrigated and more than 450 ha not irrigated
What has been the main focus been in your company?
The main focus is red beets and new milk products. Our company seeks to diversify investments while keeping them directly linked to the field.
Do you have a specialty or novelty?
Our newest investment is in dairy and beef cattle farming.
Which Bejo varieties do you have?
Boro (180 ha) and Natuna
What will the future of your company look like?
We project a positive future for our company by always seeking to grow in a responsible and sustainable way. By investing in technology that can improve the productivity and quality of the products produced by us.
Brasil
Name: Daniel Rodrigo Prodocimo
Age: 42 years old
Location: Mococa, São Paulo State, Brazil
Crops: Red beet, onions, soybean, corn and coffee
Number of hectares: In total there are 170 hectares, of which 60 hectares are red beet and 40 hectares are onion. Corn and soybeans are included in the rotation of these crops.
What has been the main focus in your company?
The main focus is on all crops I mentioned earlier.
Do you have a specialty or novelty?
We don’t have any specialties, as we only serve a niche market. Also due to the shortage of labor, it is unfeasible to diversify more crops beyond those that I already grow
Which Bejo varieties do you have?
Boro and some Bresko too. But my main market is Boro. Boro is a well-known material on the market. I've been planting Boro for a long time, it's a material that gives me a lot of security. Bresko is only for those markets that require beets with a rounder shape. Not that Boro doesn't have a good shape, but Bresko is slightly rounder.
What will the future of your company look like?
Our company follows the traditions of previous generations. Currently, we have advanced our technological level, for example, with a pivot irrigation system, cold beet storage chamber, solar energy, and the use of seeds with high productive potential. I believe that my son will continue in this tradition, as he is graduating in agronomy.
South-Africa
Name: Jannie Lategan
Age: 43 years old
Location: Brits district of the North West Province of South Africa
Crops: We have an irrigation farm and beetroot is one of the four different crops that we cultivate. We also farm wheat, soybeans and corn.
Number of hectares: 350 ha.
What has been the main focus in your company?
We try to give every crop the optimum care it needs, and don't have any favorites. It is important to be disciplined in every aspect of the specific crop's needs, from soil preparation until the day of harvest.
Do you have a specialty or novelty?
No.
Which Bejo varieties do you have?
I plant Boro.
What will the future of your company look like?
Hopefully we can keep up with the fast pace of agricultural innovation and development in technology. It is important to farm in such a way that will make it possible for the next generation to be able to continue putting their best foot forward, and for this generation to carry over their knowledge and love for farming. I think you will be in a good place and enjoy farming when you realize it is a privilege to farm, and not a right. God gives us the opportunity to experience His magnificent creation, from planting, caring and through to harvesting the crops He created.
United Kingdom
Name: Greg Colebrook
Age: 32 years old
Location: Greens of Soham, Cambridge, UK
Crops: Beetroot, Potatoes and onion
Number of hectares: 800 ha
What has been the main focus in your company?
The main focus has been growing Beetroot on 800ha, producing 40,000 tons per year. The product is sold directly to food factories and wholesale markets based off wash, size, and grade. We also grow potatoes and onions. Our focus is on providing a year-round Beetroot supply to the UK and European markets, specializing in baby Beetroot production.
Do you have a specialty or novelty?
No.
Which Bejo varieties do you have?
Pablo and Action
What will the future of your company look like?
In the future, we plan to continue investing in new techniques, such as ‘Zero Wheeling’. This has helped our company develop future ways to optically sort the Beetroot at the washing site.
Uzbekistan
Name: Furkat Khadjimuratov
Age: 60 years old
Location: Tashkent Uzbekistan, Top Agro seeds
Crops: Boro
Number of hectares: 1-3 ha per grower
What has been the main focus in your company?
I’m a distributor of Bejo in Uzbekistan, working with Bejo for 26 years. Our red beet growers in Uzbekistan grow on average between 1-3 ha of red beets with 400,000-500,000 seeds per hectare and grown with on ridges. Irrigation is mostly done by furrow irrigation, but drip irrigation has been increasing in popularity since its introduction.
Do you have a specialty or novelty?
The market is primarily focused on red beet for fresh market because red beet is a popular crop in Uzbek cuisine. It's consumed mostly in salads, soups, or salted and combined with other vegetables. In the early spring we are able to export red beets early from Uzbekistan to neighboring countries. Those beets are grown under plastic tunnels.
Which Bejo varieties do you have?
We sell mainly Pablo and Boro, which are both popular brands in the market of red beets. Mainly the second rotation of Boro is popular, sowing begins in July-August and harvesting starts the second half of October. Last year we started with the introduction of Bresko and Manolo. Storage is done in the field, in holes in the soil and in store houses.
What will the future of your company look like?
With our rapidly growing population and the possibilities for export, we are positive about the future.
The Netherlands
Name: Joost Jonk
Age: 40 years old
Location: BioBeta B.V. – Zeewolde, The Netherlands
Crops: red beet and onion (organic)
Number of hectares: 350 ha.
What has been the main focus in your company?
We grow, process, and package mainly organic red beets and onions. We also grow in our cropping plan; pumpkins, carrots, parsnips, potatoes, broccoli, peas, beans, potatoes, grains and grass/clover. The focus within our company is on growing organic products requested by customers, with the right quality requirements.
Do you have a specialty or novelty?
The novelties that contribute to the main focus of our company is the weeding robot, which helps to remove weeds, along with a new camera sorting system.
Which Bejo varieties do you have?
Boro (organic), Subeto, Manzu, Bazzu, Rhizu , Pablo, Alto
What will the future of your company look like?
We want to further develop organic farming in cooperation with our customers. Through our cultivation and processing activities, we would like to grow with them to make the organic product accessible to a broad target group.