Fresh produce importer and Zeiler Hungária offer insights into their sustainable cucumber production

Port International has highlighted its partnership with Hungarian cucumber producer Zeiler Hungária, one of several growers who are part of Port’s Exclusive Partner Farming programme.

Port International  Hungary high wire cucumbers Zeiler Hungária

Port International Hungary high wire cucumbers Zeiler Hungária

The fresh produce importer has published a short video on its website in which managing directors André Lüling (Port International European Sourcing) and Christian Zeiler (Zeiler Hungária) discuss the collaboration.

“We want to expand the partner programme in the future and add more exclusive partnerships,” explained André Lüling.

Port said that it acted as an advisor in the process of developing cultivation concepts with international supermarkets and worked closely with the entire supply chain.

The production facility in Hungary is a glasshouse where a cucumber crop is grown on an area of 5.5ha of high wire, with two geothermal sources supplying heating energy.

According to Port, this results in a harvest volume of 550,000 cucumbers per week of “excellent quality”.

“Sustainability is really lived here,” said Lüling. ”With Christian Zeiler, we have an experienced producer by our side who is producing at the highest level for years.”

The location is some 30km from the Austrian border, which enables short logistical routes to the sales markets.

Further features are the numerous hours of sunshine and a specialised team on site, the group added, which makes it possible to produce fresh and sustainable produce for the European food retail market.