The Minister of Agriculture, Esteban Valenzuela, together with the national director of SAG, José Guajardo, and the director of Odepa, Andrea García, met with the members of the Chilean Fruit Board in order to publicize the situation of the fruit fly in the country, as well as the eradication measures that are being carried out in relation to the outbreaks of this insect, in order to prepare for the next fruit export season 2024-2025.
The meeting was held at the Ministry of Agriculture, where an online broadcast was held with the members of the Chilean Fruit Board, being an unprecedented meeting that shows the close public-private relationship between fruit growers and the national agricultural authorities.
The event was attended in person by Minister Valenzuela, the national director of SAG and the professionals of said entity; Marco Muñoz, head of the Division of Agricultural-Forestry Protection and Seeds, and Óscar Camacho, head of the Border Control Department. In addition to the president of Frutas de Chile, Iván Marambio; the general manager of the entity, Miguel Canala-Echeverría; the executive secretary, Rodrigo Gallardo and the executive director of the Cherry Committee, Claudia Sole.
“Fruits of Chile (formerly Asoex) has always maintained a very direct relationship with our ministry, as well as at the level of presidents such as Patricio Aylwin, Eduardo Frei, Michelle Bachelet, Sebastián Piñera and also with our Government. President Boric has sincerely requested public-private cooperation – beyond the nuances that may exist in issues such as the fiscal pact and others – to advance in agreements, as well as in all security for the country, which also includes phytosanitary matters, water security, border security and citizen security, in relation to some robberies of farmers, which are also very important for the world of fruit. As minister, I only have thanks to the unions because we have worked in a logic of transparency, of not hiding the ball, of telling each other things, facing crises together, of prioritizing the countries where we must strengthen our exports and that is the path we are on. The Ministry of Agriculture belongs to the farmers. Therefore, it can be a permanent headquarters for Frutas de Chile,” the Minister of Agriculture noted.
Regarding work for the next season, taking into account some outbreaks of fruit flies, the authority explained that “for this reason, one of the many actions we are working on is to increase the penalties for those who illegally bring products into the country. The Government has committed and played its part in this, reopening controls that had been closed for more than a decade, because we know that phytosanitary security is one of the five most important safeguards for Chile.”
For his part, Ivan Marambio, highlighted: “This is the first time that an agricultural minister has joined us on our Board of Directors, and that a Board of Directors has been held from the offices of the Ministry of Agriculture. We are therefore grateful for the willingness of Minister Esteban Valenzuela. This fact demonstrates the close relationship that exists between Frutas de Chile, Minargi and its dependent agencies when it comes to coordinating actions that allow us to promote the development and growth of the sector, as well as to face challenges, such as the recent outbreaks of fruit fly, which – although they do not prevent Chile from remaining a fruit fly-free country – will imply the implementation of special measures to carry out our exports of cherries and other fruits in the upcoming 2024-2025 season.”
The leader of the fruit growers highlighted that today, “The illegal entry of agricultural products, such as fruits, exerts greater pressure on the country's security, since there are real criminal mafias acting behind the illegal entry of these products, putting at risk the safety of control and inspection personnel at borders and sanitary barriers, the health of people who consume these foods of dubious origin, as well as the normal operation of the fruit sector, which is a source of pride for Chileans, a source of more than 800 thousand direct and indirect jobs and an important source of contributions to the Chilean economy. Therefore, in addition to continuing to strengthen this joint work, it is key to provide greater legal tools that allow the SAG to apply better deterrent measures for those who commit criminal acts that, ultimately, attack Chile and its inhabitants.”
