Chilean agriculture is “strong and diverse” to face food crisis, says minister

Chilean agriculture is “robust and diverse,” Chilean Agriculture Minister Esteban Valenzuela said today after reaffirming food security and sovereignty measures that guarantee access to food amid the global crisis.

“There was no shortage, there was no shortage of vegetable production,” the minister told local radio station Radio Cooperativa, pointing out that the government had taken “immediate” measures to combat the drought in the north and center of the country as well as the winter snow that affects agricultural plantings.

The National Commission for Food Security and Sovereignty announced a series of initiatives to ensure the logistics and availability of food for the Chilean people in the short and medium term.

Valenzuela said that these include declaring a national agricultural emergency to “have convergent resources with municipalities and regional governments” and distributing fertilizer to more than 70,000 small farmers.

Also mentioned was access to finance for small farmers, measures to ensure the cultivation and harvest of seasonal products, a project to distribute water for irrigation and improve water management, and coordination of port operations and land transport of food.

The national plan also calls for creating 70 new micro-food banks to prevent the waste of fruits and vegetables.

Chile has suffered from water shortages for more than 13 years, and more than 75 percent of the country is affected by drought.

This is despite the heavy rains recorded this winter season in the central and southern zones, which exceeded the average of previous years.

This has affected small and large farmers, who have had to reduce their cultivated areas to maintain the quality and price of vegetables and fruits, many of which are exported.