Harmoniz focuses its pepper breeding program on two key strategies: the development of new bell-type varieties to be added to Bernabel and Bonáyar, and the launching of “unique specialties” in the market.

Harmoniz’s pepper program is very new and, even so, you already have your first commercial varieties, proving the company’s dynamism. What objectives have you established for this program?

We have a very ambitious pepper program, in which we are basically working on two lines: on the one hand, on Bell-type peppers and, on the other hand, on the development of specialties. In both cases, and bearing in mind that our company sells food, our objective is clear: we want to cover all the grower’s needs and the consumer’s. To do so, we always seek the highest quality, both agronomically and in terms of flavor, color, appearance, size . Our pepper program is very young and, even so, in one year, we have managed to develop commercial varieties positively received by the market.

The blocky/bell peppers for late-summer transplants, Bernabel and Bonáyar, respectively in red and yellow, are these first varieties. How well have they adapted to the field?

This has been a season of adjustments, in which, for example, we have confirmed their best performance in transplants from July 25 to August 5-10. Both varieties have been very well welcomed by growers and marketers, who have appreciated their uniformity throughout the cycle, maintaining their shape, brightness, and consistency… But the most highlighted feature by those who saw the crops on field, It is their good performance up to the end of the cycle, with very good quality and uniform fruit. Both varieties also offer staggered production, which is what growers and cooperatives are looking for. Our goal now for the bell pepper segment is to offer products for a complete cycle, with new hybrids suitable to the early and medium-transplants segments, and, of course, with the widest possible range of resistances, from the usual TMV, L4 and spotted viruses, to powdery mildew and also nematodes, which we will soon incorporate to our range.

In addition to blocky peppers, you have a second line of development focused on specialties. Is there room in the market for these innovative proposals?

At Harmoniz we work to develop unique pepper specialties that generate or create new market opportunities. Our aim is not to develop a segment that already exists, such as Sweet Bite or Palermo peppers; indeed, we will enhance their value and market these kind of segments too if we’ll breed them. We want to go further, looking for new proposals that allow supermarkets to stand out and make consumers willing to buy them again. These are projects within our Downstream company strategy, which is more focused on direct collaboration with growers and supermarkets. At the moment, we are already working with some prototypes to be sold, always looking for the highest quality, also at the agronomic level, incorporating resistance to viruses. In addition to be attractive to the palate. Our varieties must be chosen to be grown by producers.

You therefore have your sights set on the entire value chain…

The chain starts with the farmer, then we have to think about the farmer. Therefore, in all segments, whether they are more conventional or exclusive, we must offer varieties that the grower want to cultivate because they offer good results both agronomically and commercially, contributing to increase their profitability. From there, we focus on traders and supermarkets, providing them, for example, with varieties with a good post-harvest life; and finally, on the consumer, offering them a product that meets their expectations.

This is just the beginning of your pepper program. What are your goals for the coming years?

Obviously, our objective is to achieve a complete portfolio, not only in colors and resistances, but also in planting dates, from the earliest to the latest transplant segments. As I said, despite the fact that of our pepper program has not been around for a very long time, the introduction of our first commercial varieties shows the dynamism of Harmoniz, a seed company recognized for its innovative character in the tomato market, which now also focuses on peppers to keep growing as a global company.