The measure will benefit 12,680 farmers, including 7,608 INDAP users, who are part of the registry from the last emergency. In addition, INDAP will allocate $7 billion to recover irrigation infrastructure.
Following the announcement of a constitutional state of catastrophe between the regions of O'Higgins and Biobío due to the frontal system affecting the south-central area of the country, which will facilitate the delivery of aid to those affected.
"I can say that the bonus for farmers will begin to be paid from September 4. It will help 12,680 producers in the productive affected registry, with amounts ranging between $500 thousand and $5 million, depending on the level of affectation," said President Gabriel Boric.
According to the registry compiled by the Ministry of Agriculture, the total number of affected producers is 12,680, including 7,608 INDAP users, who will be able to access a bonus ranging from $500 thousand to $5 million, depending on the level of affectation and whether they are duly registered in the Registry of Affectation.
The funds from this reconstruction bond will be delivered via RUT Account or through Cash Payment at Banco Estado branches. These funds may be used for different investments depending on the productive and commercial situation of each user; focusing mainly on the acquisition of inputs (seeds, plants, fodder, fertilizers), infrastructure (greenhouses, fences, warehouses, sheds), equipment (motor cultivators, tractors, chainsaws, brush cutters), irrigation (ponds, tips, photovoltaic systems, water accumulators).
The Minister of Agriculture, Esteban Valenzuela, said that “Today, the government announced a special $7 billion for irrigation and small-scale agricultural canal systems via INDAP. It also announced a $2.5 billion fund for the serious damage to canals in the most affected region, which is Maule.”
The Secretary of State also explained that “The economic recovery bonuses are for our farmers, both men and women, according to their situation, for spring crops, to replenish their greenhouses or to recover intra-farm irrigation systems. Almost 13 thousand farmers benefited, 7 thousand INDAP and more than 5 thousand non-INDAP. They will receive the bonus according to the level of impact, which is calculated based on the agricultural impact records, from $500 thousand to $5 million for those who had a greater impact and are more productive.”
“Unfortunately, small and medium-sized agriculture has been affected by this particular frontal system that is coming this year and like the also announced Niño. We have been making a very important call for prevention. To continue taking care of human life by following the instructions of Senapred. The most important thing is to protect human life, the call we have made for prevention is to move animals to safe places, that is, to high areas so that they are not affected,” said the National Director of INDAP, Santiago Rojas. Likewise, users who receive this bonus must surrender it before November 30 of this year.
$7.000 million to recover irrigation
Along the same lines, he noted that "INDAP has made $7 billion available to recover irrigation canals, as well as to face the emergency and prepare for the 2023-2024 season," added President Boric.
These resources, which will be executed by INDAP, will allow the public service to face the 2023-2024 irrigation season, for which the irrigation teams of this public service identified the works that must be cleared with earth removal work in order to recover the damaged irrigation infrastructure.
Working with Associations
For her part, the Undersecretary of Agriculture, Ignacia Fernández, held a meeting this afternoon with representatives of the Federation of Fruit Producers (Fedefruta) and the Association of Producers and Exporters of Vegetables (Hortach), to learn about the main concerns of the unions and jointly coordinate support measures for farmers in the central-southern area, affected by the frontal system.
“As we did during the floods last June, we immediately contacted the unions to find out the level of impact on their members and to hear what their main needs were. They told us that these had to do with the replacement of their irrigation systems and access to soft bonds,” The undersecretary explained, adding that “We have informed them that they can count on us to keep them informed of any events that occur, and, on the other hand, we have asked them to provide us with the data they have in order to work together."
