Dr Viresh Ramburan has recently been appointed to the CIOPORA Board, making him the first person from the African continent to join this institution in this capacity. With his appointment, Dr Ramburan not only brings an African perspective to the table but are able to further the interests of breeders from Southern Africa at a global level.
CIOPORA is a non-profit breeder association founded to promote plant innovation and protect the breeders’ work. With 152 members from five continents, representing ornamental, fruit and cannabis breeders, CIOPORA gathers the largest group of horticultural breeders and experts in this field, who work together to generate the best space to facilitate and safeguard plant breeders’ work.
Ramburan currently serves as the Managing Director of the Biogold Group and *Citrogold variety management companies owned by the ANB Investments Group based in South Africa. “New cultivars of plants are a very important strategic and competitive advantage for growers, and a source of delight for consumers,” he explains. “CIOPORA represents and protects the interests of ornamental and fruit breeders by lobbying for a legal, regulatory and business environment that recognises breeders’ rights encourages plant innovations.”
*Dr Ramburan has been involved in intellectual property, business development and commercial management in agriculture for more than 15 years and is specifically interested in models for innovation in agriculture, technology transfer, and entrepreneurship. “I believe my knowledge and experience with the management of plant cultivars and the processes involved in introduction, protection and commercialization will help me to contribute to this cause. I have a very real understanding of the challenges and realities of this industry, which positions me to help achieve CIOPORA’s goal of shaping an intellectual property protection system that encourages innovation and safeguards plant breeders’ rights worldwide.”
“The new CIOPORA board represents the diversity of our organization and brings together a group of individuals who are experts in the field of plant breeding. The election of Dr. Ramburan aligns with this direction, and we are confident that he will bring treasured ideas to the Board and the best of his long experience in the industry,” stated CIOPORA Secretary General, Dr. Edgar Krieger.
“Plant breeders are essentially innovators, creatives,” Dr. Ramburan adds. “They not only create new fruit or vegetable varieties to feed the people, but they also create new flowers that enhance daily life or medicinal plants that have an impact on the well-being of people. For me, it is a priority to shape an environment supportive of the breeder.”
