Green Queen F1 hits it off with Mercamadrid and Mercabarna

After beginning its ‘reign’ at the end of November, Green Queen F1, BASF’s artichoke variety, has now arrived in Mercamadrid and Mercabarna to ‘enchant’ wholesalers and fruit growers throughout Spain. This has been accomplished through BASF’s Vegetable Seed Division, which operates under the brand Nunhems. This new campaign recently launched involves 17 wholesalers displaying Green Queen F1 on their stalls, as well as offering information about the variety’s benefits to the hundreds of fruit growers who are among their customers. By reaching this point, BASF has successfully conquered the penultimate link of the agri-food value chain, the first step towards capturing the consumer market.

« With Green Queen F1, we manage to benefit the whole chain », affirms Roberto Ballester, BASF’s Account Manager for artichoke, explaining that, for farmers, « it is a variety that allows them to make each hectare in production profitable season after season ». Also, auctions, supermarket purchase managers, and wholesalers have an artichoke variety with the necessary shelf life to reduce wastage and complaints. And finally, greengrocers « can offer the end consumer a product that consumers love, thus guaranteeing repeat purchases ». Lastly, greengrocers « can offer consumers a product they love, thereby ensuring repeat purchases ».

But what else do greengrocers ask of their ideal artichoke? This is the question that BASF has also asked itself and, in order to answer it, they invited greengrocers who regularly shop at Mercamadrid and Mercabarna to take part in a brief survey with which BASF intended to gather first-hand information about the artichoke market so as to better understand consumption habits and their preferences with regards to this vegetable in order to be able to contribute to its development.

Amongst the obtained results, it is worth highlighting that 90% of those surveyed prioritise the quality of the artichoke over its price in the market and, furthermore, 82% affirm that the short shelf life of other varieties is the biggest handicap they encounter when it comes to bringing this vegetable to their shelves. So much so that, as Ballester comments, « not being able to control wastage or ensure the final quality of the product has influenced its prominence on the shelves ».

Until now! Thanks to its good post-harvesting, Green Queen F1 always shows an internal and external quality that guarantees repeat purchases and, with it, rotation on the shelf.
For all these reasons, wholesalers and greengrocers have fallen for the ‘charms’ of Green Queen F1. And you, are you going to fall in love with it?
About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection, and social responsibility. More than 117,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in almost every sector and country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care, and Agricultural Solutions. In 2019, BASF generated sales of some €59 billion. BASF’s shares are listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (BAS) and the United States (BASFY) as ADR (American Depositary Receipts). Further information at www.basf.com.
About BASF’s Agricultural Solutions division
With a rapidly growing population, the world is increasingly dependent on our ability to develop and maintain sustainable agriculture and healthy environments. Working with farmers, agricultural professionals, pest management experts and others, it is our role to help make this possible. That’s why we invest in a strong R&D pipeline and broad portfolio, including seeds and traits, chemical and biological crop protection, soil management, plant health, pest control and digital farming. With expert teams in the lab, field, office and in production, we connect innovative thinking and down-to-earth action to create real world ideas that work – for farmers, society and the planet. In 2019, our division generated sales of €7.8 billion. For more information, please visit www.agriculture.basf.com or any of our social media channels.