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Habé Roode - Hygrotech International Inc. |
June 2003 |
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What path did you
follow to learn the trade? How different was it from what a
young European or American would have done? |
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One is never
done learning the seed business, but in those early years the
path I took learning about the seed business was probably very
different from a young European or American who could have access to formal training in the vegetable seed business.
Apart from my formal graduate studies, I had to start from
scratch, basically with my father and mother, and learn
everything about the seed business by doing it myself.
Talking, sleeping, eating and drinking about the business the
hard way. But it was probably, in hindsight, the best way
- although it might have taken a bit longer than the more formal
route. Before starting full
time with the company my father gave me the opportunity to
travel to the USA and work as a trainee for PETOSEED CO in
Saticoy, California for a year. They were a great bunch of
guys at PETOSEED and everyone went out of his way to
teach me every aspect of the product side of the business,
research and breeding, growing practices, seed production,
seed quality and packaging. That was in addition to making contact
with other seed companies, attending my first ASTA meeting in
Lake Tahoe in 1970, learning the business, and I am pleased to
say that a number of individuals I met during that year
are still not only business colleagues but also my friends
after 33 years of dealing with seed companies at the international
level. |
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