Sun World International has acquired Biogold Group, a South Africa-based global fruit variety rights manager.
Biogold, trading as Citrogold in South Africa, is a preeminent global supplier of citrus genetics, according to a news release. In addition to its mango breeding program, Biogold manages rights to mango varieties developed by third-party breeders. Together with the breeders it represents, Biogold says it has one of the world’s largest mango collections and one of the largest collections of avocado varieties.
“Sun World is known for commercializing carefully, and being intentional when releasing our genetics, in service of maximizing benefits to our producer licensees,” Sun World CEO David Marguleas said in the release. “Similarly, we make very few acquisitions and when we do, we do so with discipline. There couldn’t be a stronger business case than this alliance. It’s a powerful accelerant for both companies and a pretty seamless integration for two already strong organizations and leadership teams.”
Biogold’s extensive citrus range is an exponential value-add to Sun World’s global leadership in table grapes and stone fruit. Like Sun World, Biogold also holds varietal management rights to a portfolio of not-yet-commercialized varieties, making the growth runway for the combined company formidable and creating a parallel path with two revenue streams, the company said.
Biogold’s operations will continue to be run by Viresh Ramburan as vice president for global licensing, citrus and subtropicals, and there will be no staff reduction at the company due to the acquisition, according to the release.
The company was founded in South Africa in the late 1990s by a small group including Etienne Rabe, who was later joined by Abraham Van Rooyen and others, growing from the efforts of many individuals, the release said. Biogold expanded its international operations in the 2000s and was subsequently integrated into ANB Investments (Pty) Ltd., a South Africa-based enterprise with a diverse portfolio of agriculture holdings. Biogold now has global presence in South Africa, the U.S., Europe and South America, with growers in the world’s major citrus-producing regions.
Key management of Biogold will be retained, and Van Rooyen will remain an adviser to Sun World’s executive team. Having grown up in the business on his family’s citrus farm, he is respected as a leader and as one of a few individuals who have most advanced the citrus sector in South Africa into the leading global player it is today, the release said.
“This acquisition instantly catapults our combined company onto a new growth path,” Ramburan said. “We have developed unique expertise in helping fruit breeders monetize their valuable genetic assets, effectively serving breeders across sectors that include government, academia and private entities. This acquisition creates a symbiotic relationship that will be highly scalable to the benefit of both parties and to our customers — both fruit breeders and growers.”
Beginning in 2019, Sun World specifically targeted citrus, mangoes and avocados as priority genetics adjacencies. The company said the Biogold announcement is the result of five years of discussion and discernment. These three priority crops have experienced explosive retail growth and are much in demand by consumers worldwide.
Sun World said the Biogold acquisition is proof of its intent to dramatically accelerate its genetics offering to its more than 2,700 licensees and to have a complete range of the most desirable genetics for new customers.
“Biogold is an invaluable supplier to Wonderful Citrus,” Zak Laffite, president of Wonderful Citrus, said in the release. “We have tremendous respect for the quality of their varietals, and know that with Sun World and Biogold under one roof, we will see tremendous benefits for the industry as a whole.”
