Ramakrishnan M. Nair has been appointed by the World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg) to lead operations for the region from Hyderabad.
As regional director for South and Central Asia, Dr. Nair will collaborate with donors and partners, develop new projects, and extend the research, development, and capacity-building work of WorldVeg through networks to benefit farmers and consumers along the region’s vegetable value chain.
He also leads the WorldVeg global legume breeding program and the International Mungbean Improvement Network (IMIN).
Mr. Nair has over 30 years of experience in managing and leading national and international projects. He began his career in 1986 as an Agricultural Officer (Extension) in the Department of Agriculture, Government of Kerala. Ram spent 10 years as a forage breeder at the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) in Adelaide and four years at the Department of Natural Resources and Environment in Victoria, Australia. There, he researched a range of plant species including Medicago, Trifolium, Trigonella, Melilotus, Lolium and Atriplex. In 1998, he was seconded to the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, Aberystwyth, UK.
“Ram’s proven ability to build strong and productive partnerships will help improve seed systems and food safety, and promote healthier diets and job creation in India and throughout South and Central Asia,” said Marco Wopereis, director general of the World Vegetable Center.
