Discover our Lettuce
Rijk Zwaan’s lettuce varieties are bred for high yields, quality and resilience under South African conditions. With strong resistance packages and suitability for modern growing systems, they help growers reduce waste, use resources efficiently and stay competitive in a rapidly changing market.
We invest in our lettuce breeding program to help South African growers succeed while reducing waste and minimizing the environmental impact of production.
Innovations and solutions
We develop lettuce varieties that meet the needs of South African growers and their customers.
Our extensive range is carefully selected to address key considerations such as yield, uniformity, field‑holding ability, pest and disease resilience, bolting tolerance, ease of harvest and processing, and shelf life, along with many other factors growers evaluate when choosing the right variety.
We aim for our varieties and high-quality seeds to offer growers the best chances of a successful crop; and to promote healthy, fresh produce in the South African market.
Cos: A year-round- programme
We have a great variety of options across this broad and evolving market. We’ve developed a year-round program for crunchy cos, traditional baby cos types for twin pack, and specialty offers for hospitality sector and more. Iceberg & Knox™
We are happy to introduce Lentenas RZ, an iceberg featuring Knox™. The Knox™ trait improves shelf life by delaying the browning of cut surfaces. If you’re looking for fresher leaves, look for Knox™ Lettuce breeders since 1961
Breeding & Selection
Since 1924, Rijk Zwaan has been a leader in vegetable seed innovation. Our lettuce breeding programme, launched in 1961, delivers high-quality lettuce varieties supported by continuous investment in research and development to help growers succeed.
Producing high-quality seed
Quality starts long before planting. Our vegetable seeds are produced in world-class growing regions with each variety managed using specialised production techniques. Backed by rigorous quality controls and four core quality pillars, germination performance, seed health, genetic purity and seed purity, we deliver seeds growers can trust season after season.
Together with our partners
With representatives in every major growing region, Rijk Zwaan provides expert variety selection and crop advice tailored to South African conditions. Together with partners across the vegetable chain, we support grower success, market opportunities and increased vegetable consumption.