Second Innovation and Agricultural Entrepreneurship Meeting in La Tirana attracted nearly 200 attendees

Blueberry production in the desert, composting, circular economy in farming and the recent revelation of iodine as an innovative nutrient for the agricultural world were the topics discussed at the Second Innovation and Agricultural Entrepreneurship Meeting for the Tarapacá Region, held in the town of La Tirana and led by SQM together with the Municipality of Pozo Almonte and regional Agriculture Ministry officials.

The day-long event also included a farmers’ market run by growers and entrepreneurs from the region. Goat cheese produced at the La Tirana cheese factory, flowers, medicinal herbs, fruits, vegetables and handicrafts were showcased in this space designed to help promote local products.

About the event, José Quispe, a farmer from the Pintados Colony Jehovah’s Witness Multi-ethnic Association, commented that “the presentations were well done and the topics were interesting. We are grateful for this type of activity, since SQM has always worked with us to develop our agricultural colony.”

Similarly, Pablo Pisani, Corporate Affairs Manager for SQM’s Nitrate Iodine Division, remarked: “As a company we seek to add value to desert agriculture, sharing innovations and experiences that can be adapted to the reality in northern Chile, but also calling farmers, entrepreneurs, schools, universities and the general public to immerse themselves in this great productive activity.”

For his part, the mayor of Pozo Almonte, Richard Godoy, highlighted the issues addressed and the farmers’ market, noting that “it lets the entrepreneurs of our beautiful province participate and offer everything produced on their land, while also inviting them to dream of future projects for the district and El Tamarugal.”

The opening ceremony was led by the presidential delegate for the Tamarugal Province, Camila Castillo; the mayor of Pozo Almonte, Richard Godoy; the regional representative for the Agriculture Ministry, Eduardo Justo; and SQM’s Corporate Affairs Manager for the Nitrates and Iodine Division, Pablo Pisani, who later toured the farmers’ market and the greenhouse.

“We are all familiar with the riches of the Pampa de Tamarugal and it is important to continue providing public-private support to activities such as these. Here I recognize SQM’s commitment to the local farmers through very concrete projects that have benefited the farming community and the entire region,” said the presidential delegate for the province during the tour.

PRESENTATIONS

The second version of this event was kicked off with a presentation by Jorge Esquivel, an agronomist from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, who spoke about his experience as a blueberry producer and how to produce this fruit in the desert. Next came Ítalo Cariola, an industrial engineer from Universidad de los Andes and creator of REYCOMP, who spoke about circular economy and composting.

The afternoon session was led off by Annika Schüttler, Energy and Sustainability Project Leader at the Chilean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AHK Chile), with her presentation “An Opportunity for Sustainability: Circular Economy in Extreme Climates.” Juan Vargas, an agronomist from Universidad Arturo Prat and Head of Production Development for SQM’s Atacama Tierra Fértil Program in the Tarapacá Region, wrapped up the day by speaking about iodine as an innovative nutrient for agriculture.

Richard Challapa, president of the Pampa del Tamarugal Aymara Indigenous Farming Association, highlighted the professionalism and the data provided, “since compost, for example, is a very important thing to know and to be able to apply in a good way in our projects. In addition, it’s great that these events are held locally, which allows us to interact with more farmers and ranchers in the province.”

The opening ceremony also included a short video by SQM on the company’s work through its agricultural advisory program Atacama Tierra Fértil with various communities in northern Chile, where it implements farming and livestock projects alongside its neighbors in order to boost production in the desert and generate shared social value.