Citrogold is a cultivar management company and subsidiary of Biogold International. There service includes the management of the intellectual property, and more specifically plant breeders’ rights.
As such, Citrogold tests and evaluates different fruit varieties and then commercialises these on behalf of plant variety owners, by licensing growers, nurseries, packing facilities, exporters and importers.
Citrogold is often involved in the whole commercialisation process, from the time the variety was discovered, through to the testing and evaluation of the production and market potential of the varieties, to the final release of the varieties for commercial plantings. It takes care of all the legal aspects, including the registration of plant breeder’s rights and trademarks worldwide, and licensing different stakeholders.
Different royalty models are used, depending and subject to the instructions of the variety owner. Some varieties are high-value and will carry various royalties, while others may only be subject to a once-off royalty. In all cases, the royalties are collected on behalf of the variety owners in different territories and paid to them, with Citrogold getting paid a fee for the services rendered.
Citrogold specialises in citrus, but their portfolio also includes non-citrus products, such as granadilla, pomegranate, macadamia, mango and avocado.
A wide range of soft citrus varieties is planted in South Africa. This can roughly be divided into three groups: mandarins, clementines, and...