Hygrotech has for many years been in partnership with Heinz as their exclusive distributor to the Southern African market. The uniqueness of the Southern African market has established a market amongst subsistence farmers and many consumers alike for a saladette/ processor shaped tomato that has good keeping quality, ability to travel by road and that can be planted without the effort and expense of using stakes.
This market segment and the varieties ear-marked for this market are sometimes shortly referred to as the ‘’hawker’’ type market and varieties. For many years varieties imported for use by processors have been used for the ‘’hawker’’ market and this has proven no different for the Heinz range of varieties introduced to the South African market over the years.
Currently and for the previous decade the leading Heinz variety is H1015. It answers most of the questions posed by those in the processing industry. For the ‘hawker’ market the fruit size is slightly on the small side, but its other attributes of quality make up for this slight deficiency.
Hygrotech has for some time been trialling material from Heinz to replace the H1015 with better genetics and at the same time to find a variety that can satisfy the ‘’hawker’’ market. The focus on the new genetics has been on larger fruit size, better quality, and a stronger disease package.
After many trials across South Africa, Hygrotech is proud to announce the arrival of two new Heinz game changers to the South African market:
SUPREME F1
New processor variety that is equally ideal for the Hawker grower, buyer, and consumer alike – truly versatile. Extremely good yielder, extended field storage (EFS).
- Good Transporter
- Cultivation: Open field
- Type: Hawker / Processing
- Days to maturity: 80 –90 days after transplant
- Fruit shape: Blocky / oval
- Fruit weight: 110 –130 grams
- Resistances: Verticillium, Fusarium 1 & 2, Tomato Spotted Wilt, Nematodes, Alternaria, Phytophthora, Bacterial Canker & Bacterial Spot

DELUXE F1
New processor variety that is equally ideal for the Hawker grower, buyer, and consumer alike – truly versatile. Extremely good yielder, extended field storage (EFS).
- Good Transporter
- Cultivation: Open field
- Type: Hawker / Processing
- Days to maturity: 80 –90 days after transplant
- Fruit shape: Blocky / oval
- Fruit weight: 110 –130 grams
- Resistances: Verticillium, Fusarium 1 & 2, Tomato Spotted Wilt, Nematodes, Alternaria, Phytophthora, Bacterial Canker & Bacterial Spot

(Written by Christo Le Grange)