Colviveros

BOGOTÁ, Colombia: Within the framework of its Second General Assembly held in Bogotá on March 21st, Colviveros, the Association of Colombian Nurseries and Ornamental Growers, announced the creation of the Research Center for the Advancement of the Ornamental Nursery Industry (Ceniviveros).

According to Jairo Cadavid, President of Colviveros, this initiative will be structured around a technological development center focused on strengthening and improving the productivity and the competitiveness of the ornamental nursery industry in Colombia by providing live plant growers comprehensive training, technical assistance, technological services, and evaluating new technologies. At the same time, the Research Center will promote among the Colviveros members the preservation of the intellectual property rights.

The trade union leader indicated that Ceniviveros will seek to close the existing technological gap Colombia faces in comparison with the countries at the forefront of live plant production, will centralize the research to disseminate it, will stimulate the implementation of quality standards, and will promote the adoption of clean production systems by the nursery growers in the country.

As for the production and commercialization of live plants and ornamentals in the country, the President of Colviveros pointed out that the trade association advances in the characterization process of this segment could be equivalent to some 5,000 marketers and rural producers throughout the national territory. By March the newly created Association reaches 200 members in 8 Colombian regions.