At Hazera, we are proud of our dedicated team, which works passionately to provide our growers with the best products. While we tend to put our products in the headlines, it is the Hazera team who are behind our success. Let’s shine the spotlight on Federico Puyo (52), Product Manager for Long Cucumbers and Blocky Peppers from Almeria, Spain.

Federico Puyo, Product Manager for Long Cucumbers and Blocky Peppers, lives in Almeria with his wife and two kids. He studied agronomy and has been working in the agricultural industry since 1994. He began his career as an advisor in crop management for local companies in the fertilizers and fruit trees business. After 25 years, Federico decided to return to his roots and work with vegetables. He joined Hazera five years ago and with his empathy, expertise, and curiosity he has been a valuable team member since.

What is a common myth about your field of expertise?
“A common misconception about the seed industry in general, which I also had myself, is that creating and breeding new hybrids is not a complicated process. But since I started working as a product manager, I learnt that I couldn’t have been more wrong about it.” Admits Federico. “Turns out, producing seeds is quite complex. Especially nowadays, as there is a need to develop global varieties that can thrive in various conditions and markets.”

In your opinion, what is the most important strength someone needs to be successful in your job?
“I think empathy and willingness to help others are very essential skills a product manager should have. At the end of the day, it’s not just the company that matters, but the people within. In my position, it is important to have empathy because you need to understand the challenges and needs of different departments and people like breeders, sales, and marketing. You need to be able to combine the various perspectives and work together towards a common goal. And of course, to do this, you also need to be curious, need to be engaged with different departments within and outside the company to learn and understand what they do. Then you have the full picture, and you are of better help.”

Tell us about a project you’re proud of and why.
“I can highlight two things I’m proud of. One is the mini seedless watermelon project I’m involved in with some colleagues from Marketing and Fresh Chain. I’m very proud of being part of this project because, despite all the difficulties the team is facing, we are taking a position in the market step by step. The other thing to highlight is related to my crop, long cucumber. I take pride in transforming the perception of Hazera in the Spanish market. At first, Hazera was viewed as a tomato company, but the reputation of our long cucumbers is growing more and more, and growers are curious about our varieties.”

What does “Hazera- Growing Together” mean to you?
“As I see it, Growing Together has two parts. One part is Growing Together internally, as I mentioned, being empathetic and curious and working as a team with colleagues. I might not be so knowledgeable in other crops, but I keep an open mind and try to connect with my colleagues and learn from them.” Federico smiles. “In the end, we are one team, and we need to have the same mission. Growing together externally means that we need to collaborate with our external partners and customers, understand their challenges and try to find solutions to help them. So, growing together is not only a benefit for Hazera but also a global benefit.”

Tell us something about yourself that most people do not know.
“Not many people know, but I would like to set up a tapas bar when I retire. My wife is not convinced yet of this idea.” Federico laughs. “But I’d love to own a tapas bar, where I can talk with the people who come in. And of course, drink a beer or two with them.”

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Hazera’s Long Cucumber breeding program, initiated around ten years ago, is still relatively new. This makes it even more impressive that at such an early stage of the program, our team was able to breed ZiMMan, a variety that responds exceptionally well to new environmental stress factors like climate change, water salinization, and new plant viruses.

In the ever-evolving field of agriculture, with increased environmental challenges, Hazera needs to produce versatile varieties. ZiMMan is the first variety developed with this in mind. It is a notable addition to the Hazera cucumber portfolio, designed to tackle these challenges, with a main focus on fighting against the new plant viruses, especially CGMMV.

ZiMMan was launched in Spain, a key market for Long Cucumbers. But its adaptability to thrive under hot conditions, high yield, and comprehensive set of resistances (CYSDV, CVYV, CGMMV, Px) make ZiMMan a resilient and reliable choice for growers worldwide.

“The team started to develop ZiMMan around four years ago and within its first commercial year, ZiMMan achieved a 10% market share of the Spanish market in seed quantity. I’m impressed and proud of the team that they were able to achieve this level of success in such a short time with our cucumber breeding.” – Federico Puyo, Product Manager for Long Cucumber.

Moreover, ZiMMan showcases Hazera’s commitment to innovation and excellence, offering several key characteristics that ensure its adaptability to diverse growing conditions and environmental stresses:
Strong Root System: Ensures the plant’s resilience and ability to withstand stress.
Dark Fruit Colour: Indicates a healthy and visually appealing crop.
Plant Structure: Promotes optimal growth and productivity.

With investing the expertise of its team, Hazera is on a journey towards cultivating stronger and more resilient cucumber varieties.

Would you like to learn more about ZiMMan or our cucumber breeding program? Feel free to contact us.