Ontario – Chatham – Chatham
Corporation
www.tomatosolutions.ca
Ontario
Chatham
Chatham
Corporation
active
Tomato Solutions conducts a tomato breeding program to produce the highest quality hybrids for processors and fresh market growers. As the company name implies, tomato breeding can be viewed as a way of providing solutions to problems that growers and processors face in providing competitive products to the marketplace. We have concentrated on processing tomatoes primarily used for peeling. Improving case recovery by increasing fruit size and firmness as well as peeled color is a major objective. Reducing peeling costs by incorporating traits for easy peeling using reduced lye concentrations and application times is another objective. Breeding hybrids that have easy peel removal will ease the transition from lye peeling to steam or hot water peeling and assist companies with meeting more stringent environmental regulations while remaining competitive. For diced and chopped products, hybrids with larger fruit size and solid interior structure enhance product appearance and recovery. Hybrids of varying maturities with tolerance to fruit breakdown due to disease, and the ability to withstand heat without softening improves the flow of tomatoes from the field to the factory. Early maturing hybrids as well as those with extended field storage capabilities extend the processing season, maximizing capital assets. A close relationship between breeder, processor and grower is necessary so that the combination of factors in which improvement is most desired can be emphasized in hybrid development. Our production process for seed emphasizes genetic purity, high germination and vigour, and effective seed treatments for control of bacterial diseases. The production facilities and research farm of Tomato Solutions are near Chatham, Ontario, central to the main processing tomato production area of Canada. At present, we have several machine harvest processing tomato hybrids as well as hybrids for roma fresh market. In addition, we have an outstanding beefsteak hybrid. Many of our hybrids are used for organic tomato production due to their ability to produce well without the use of fungicides. This is a natural result of breeding without using fungicides in our plots. Please contact Jim Dick or Adam Dick for further information on tomato hybrids.
Export/Domestic Sales: 45% U.S./55% Canadian
Processing/Fresh Market Sales: 85% Processing/15% Fresh Market
Paste/Peeled: 16% of Processing for Paste/84% for Peeled Product
Country of Ownership: Canada
Year Established: 1996
Exporting: Yes
Primary Industry (NAICS): 111219 - Other Vegetable (except Potato) and Melon Farming
Alternate Industries (NAICS): 111419 - Other Food Crops Grown Under Cover
541710 - Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering and Life Sciences
Primary Business Activity: Manufacturer / Processor / Producer
Total Sales ($CDN): $500,000 to $999,999
Export Sales ($CDN): $200,000 to $499,999
Number of Employees: 3
Services:
Seed treatment and production
Products:
Tomato hybrid tsh18 - seed, Tomato hybrid tsh04 - seed, Tomato variety vf6203 seed, Super shepherd pepper seed, Tomato hybrid tsh24 - seed, Tomato hybrid tsh26 - seed, Tomato hybrid tsh25 - seed, Beefsteak tomato hybrid tsh27 - seed, Tomato hybrid seed - tsh28, Tomato hybrid seed - tsh29, Seed guides/catalogues
Technology:
Tomato breeding and development of tomato hybrids. Field plots and yield and quality trials. Semi-commercial trials, with cooperation with major tomato processors. Expertise in seed production, seed import and export, seed treatments and conditioning techniques. Statistical analysis. Peeling technology to evaluate peelability of fruit from various tomato hybrids. Tomato quality analysis.
Sector:
Plant Information: Total Plant Size (Areas sq ft): 72 acres of land, approximately 6000 sq ft of building for seed production and hybrid evaluation.
Distribution of Employees
Jim Dick - masters degree in plant pathology, Ph.D. in plant breeding
Adam Dick - graduate of physics and mathematics, certificate in plant breeding from University of California, Davis.
Judy Dick - General Management, Personnel Management degrees
Unique Applications: San Marzano style whole peeled tomatoes: Our TSH24 hybrid has the very elongated shape of the San Marzano tomato that has been grown in Italy and used for a high quality whole peeled tomato. TSH24 has the firm texture, good colour, and excellent flavour typical of this type. Several companies are using this hybrid to produce a unique product that matches or exceeds the quality of the imported product.
Peeled colour: Our hybrids have been selected for extremely good peeled colour under adverse soil and environmental conditions. They will perform well in conditions that favour blotchy ripening (yellow shoulder syndrome), conditions such as low potassium levels, high magnesium and calcium levels, and other factors.
Key / Major Clients: H.J. Heinz, Canada
DelMonte, Canada
Thomas Canning, Canada
Weil Foods, Canada
Sun-Brite Canning, Canada
Harvest-Pak Foods, Canada
Red Gold Foods, U.S.A.
Hirzel Canning, U.S.A.
B - G Foods, U.S.A.
Furmano Foods, U.S.A.
Ray Bros. Farms, U.S.A.
Success Stories: Earliness: TSH18 and TSH04 are extensively used in the processing industry in the Mid-West U.S.A. and southern Canada to start the processing season, due to their earliness and general suitability for processing as either paste or peeled wholepack tomatoes.
Organic tomato production: Several of our hybrids such as TSH04, TSH18 and TSH28 are used for organic tomato production because of their ability to produce well and to resist disease without the use of fungicides.
Testimonial: Field representatives from many of our customers have commented on the excellent stands they obtain using our pelletized seed in plug trays, with plant counts often in excess of 285 plants in a 288 cell tray. In addition, we use an orange coloured pellet which many plug growers have praised, since it easily allows them to see how accurately their seeding equipment is performing.
Dick Adam
Dick Jim
Dick Judy
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