Rijk Zwaan and East West Seeds have decided to start joint breeding in African kale. Yesterday they acquired the African kale programme from the Zimbabwean company Avanos and signed a service contract with Marietta van der Werff, the breeder of this crop, to continue breeding activities in Zimbabwe. Two contracts have been signed yesterday to this effect.

The African kale programme will from now on be under responsibility of the Afrisem breeding station in Arusha, Tanzania and be one of the joint breeding programs conducted on behalf of East West Seeds and Rijk Zwaan. Expectations are that the programme’s first kale hybrids will be available for commercial testing three years from now.

“Because Tanzania does not have a cool season – which is necessary for kale to flower – we are simply not able to breed this crops at the Afrisem breeding station in Tanzania,” explains Kees Reinink. “Since Marietta has so much experience in selecting kale in Zimbabwe, she has agreed to continue the variety development in this crop for a number of years. She will do this in close collaboration with Eugene Agbicodo, the breeding manager of RZ Afrisem.”

picture: Simon Molenaar (on behalf of RZ Afrisem) and Ben Tax sign the contracts with Marietta van der Werff