Poul Graff, Graff Breeding A/S, has received Dansk Gartneri's (Danish Growers Association) Innovation Award. Danish Growers Associations newly elected chairman, Jørgen Andersen, presented the award in connection with Dansk Gartneri AGM meeting on 24 February in Nyborg, Denmark.
Breeding, cultivation concept and know-how
Breeding, cultivation concept and know-how were the strategic key-stones when Graff Breeding was founded in 2007 as a sister company to nursery Graff Kristensen A/S; with the aim of developing ornamental plants to the international market. Since then, the company’s targeted breeding program has achieved recognition in Denmark and abroad.
The company is now active in the development of hibiscus among others, which Dansk Gartneri states as the motivation for awarding Graff Breeding with the prize. The breeding efforts are not all; Graff Breeding offers a concept and know-how to selected partners worldwide. Ornamental plants developed by Graff Breeding are today produced globally.
Every other year Graff Breeding organizes their Selection Days, where the entire global HibisQs customer group meets in Denmark for seminars, networking and to select the future varieties.
HibisQs
“When we established the breeding company hibiscus was a commodity, everyone sold to everyone, and we (the growers) had ended up in a field where we had only the price to talk/negotiate about. We chose to go into hibiscus breeding as an alternative to 'survival of the fittest'. That's exactly what breeding is all about. Creating a product that is different and has value for the consumer, gives you great opportunities in the market,” said Poul Graff to Gartner Tidende last year. From day one, Graff Breeding chose to work with a unique partnership approach, involving close cooperation with selected/leading growers of finished hibiscus around the world, with the brand HibisQs as the focal point.