Tomatoes - Benfica do Ribatejo, Portugal
Outputs
Improved farm management techniques, including the hybrid Heinz tomato seed varieties, have led to yield increases of up to 50% during the last 10 years, as well as an overall improvement in fruit quality. The level of sophistication at Benfica do Ribatejo is high; the use of drip irrigation has been a significant success and the investment in mechanisation has also generated improved efficiency and economic benefits. The increased output from the farm ultimately improves economics of the farming business, which is one of the cornerstones of sustainability.
Future Developments
Benfica do Ribatejo is currently working towards becoming approved under the Global Gap Assurance scheme, which will initially cover the farm’s production of carrots but it is anticipated that approval for tomatoes will follow in 2010. This will provide independent verification that requirements such as food safety, quality, good environmental practices and record keeping are being met.