{"id":10312,"date":"2026-04-23T14:55:01","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T17:55:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/britcham.cl\/pruebas\/?page_id=10312"},"modified":"2026-04-23T14:59:05","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T17:59:05","slug":"the-chilean-agriculture-sector","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/britcham.cl\/es\/the-chilean-agriculture-sector\/","title":{"rendered":"The Chilean Agriculture Sector"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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AGRICULTURE<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>

Chile is a leading producer and exporter of a wide range of high-value crops. Its Southern Hemisphere location, with five distinct climate zones, allows for the production of seasonal produce all year round when few regions of the world provide fresh supplies.<\/h4>

Thanks to its geographical composition, the country boasts one of the largest varieties of agricultural produce in the world. At the same time, these geographic characteristics (the Andes Mountain range to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the west, Patagonia to the south and the Atacama desert to the north) are the country\u2019s ally as, together with strict controls, they have effectively protected the country\u2019s agriculture from foreign diseases.<\/h4><\/div>

\"P191<\/h4>

Key Characteristics<\/h4>

Within the last 50 years, the sector has evolved from traditional, extensive agriculture to intensive production with a heavy focus on fruit and vegetable produce. It is an extremely large industry and has an expected growth of 35% by 2030.<\/p>

The fruit-growing sector accounts for the largest proportion of agribusiness, a massive 75% of its total value in 2018. The Agriculture sector comprises 3% of Chilean GDP, and 24% of exports, making it the country\u2019s second largest source of exports after copper with over two-thirds of Chilean fruit production being exported. When combined with food & beverage processing, agriculture accounts for 8% of the economy.<\/p>

Fruits comprise 38% of farm production, followed by livestock at 21%. Production agriculture, excluding other portions of the value chain, employed 774,000 in 2019, 9% of Chilean employment. Including agribusiness, the employment total is closer to 20%, and agribusiness accounts for 57% of Chile\u2019s manufacturing output. While fruit remains dominant in 2025, diversification efforts are underway, with growing interest in high-protein crops, specialty grains, and value-added plant-based products.<\/p>

Compared with other Latin American countries Chile lags behind in the development of key crop and livestock segments, such as cereals and beef cattle breeding but it is mainly due to the distribution of weather and soil conditions. Chile, therefore, continues to rely on imports to satisfy domestic demand for wheat, maize and beef. Since 2021, new investments in controlled-environment agriculture and feed production are expected to gradually reduce dependency over the next decade.<\/p>

Over the past five years, Chile\u2019s agricultural sector has continued to strengthen its export-oriented strategy, supported by new trade agreements and expanded access to Asian, Middle Eastern, and North American markets. In 2024, agribusiness exports surpassed USD 25 billion for the first time, driven by strong global demand for cherries, blueberries, table grapes, avocados, and high-value processed foods.<\/p>

Technological adoption in agriculture has accelerated, with widespread use of precision irrigation, satellite crop monitoring, and data-driven farm management, enabling higher productivity and more sustainable water use \u2014 a critical factor in addressing the prolonged drought affecting central Chile.<\/p>

The sector is also transitioning toward greater environmental and social sustainability. By 2025, more than 45% of Chile\u2019s fruit export volume was certified under internationally recognized sustainability and fair-trade standards. The government has introduced incentives for regenerative farming practices and renewable energy use in agricultural operations.<\/p>

Market Overview<\/h4>

Chile remains a premier destination for companies seeking high-quality agricultural produce or offering efficiency and technological solutions to capitalise on sustained global demand. The country\u2019s export-oriented agrifood sector combines\u00a0geographic diversity, modern production technologies and an extensive network of trade agreements<\/strong>, securing competitiveness and market access.<\/p>

Fresh fruit, nuts and other horticultural exports continue to dominate: in 2024 the country closed a record year for fruit exports, with cherries, grapes, apples and blueberries among the top performers. Simultaneously, agricultural and food exports overall surged: early-2025 data from ProChile show the agribusiness sector leading non-mining exports, driven by robust demand from traditional and emerging markets.<\/p>

Chile\u2019s agtech ecosystem \u2014 or \u201cAgriculture 4.0\u201d \u2014 has gained momentum: digital agriculture, precision irrigation, supply-chain traceability and sustainability-oriented production are now standard practices across many farms and exporters. This evolution is underpinned by favourable conditions for foreign investment and innovation: the country\u2019s territorial diversity offers ideal testing grounds for scalable agricultural technologies.<\/p>

Importantly, institutional and policy support reinforce this competitive edge. In 2024\u20132025, the sector\u2019s strategic relevance was acknowledged publicly by the Ministerio de Agricultura de Chile (Minagri), which highlighted advances in rural development, irrigation, export growth and support for small and medium producers \u2014 strengthening Chile\u2019s position as a food-export powerhouse.<\/p>

In summary, by 2025 Chile\u2019s agribusiness is not only built on natural comparative advantage and broad trade links, but also on strong export performance, technological adoption, regulatory support and diversification \u2014 making it among the most attractive global platforms for agrifood investment, innovation and sustainable production.<\/p>

\"FICH<\/h4>

Market Profile<\/h4>

The sector is highly fragmented, dominated by micro, small and medium-sized companies, and it is increasingly competitive. The principal entry modes are brownfield investments, acquisitions and strategic partnerships with local companies, given the relatively high costs of land and machinery. Since early 2018, foreign investor interest in Chilean agriculture has been increasing, encouraged by growth in economic activity and strong foreign demand for key export products.<\/p>

Main companies by size and origin (country):
1. Antarchile S.A. (Revenue: 2024, USD\u202f28.2\u202fbillion )-Origen: Chile
2. Empresas Copec S.A. (Revenue: 2024, USD\u202f28.24\u202fbillion )-Origen: Chile
3. Empresas CMPC S.A. (Revenue: 2024, USD\u202f7.60\u202fbillion )-Origen: Chile
4. Agrosuper S.A. (Revenue: 2024, USD\u202f4.276\u202fbillion )-Origen: Chile
5. Empresas Aquachile S.A. (Revenue: 2024, USD\u202f1.65\u202fbillion )-Origen: Chile<\/p>

Regulation
\u25cf Strict general sanitary and phytosanitary regulations
\u25cf Main sources of regulations for primary agriculture and primary food processors in Chile:
\u25cb the Sanitary Code
\u25cb the Food Health Regulations;
\u25cb Decree No. 118\/2015 on hazard analysis and critical control points in food establishments;
\u25cb Pesticides for Sanitary and Domestic Use Regulation;
\u25cb Resolution 33, which sets maximum permitted levels of pesticide residues in food;
\u25cb Law No. 20,606, on the Nutritional Composition of Food and on Food Advertising;
\u25cb Law No. 18,755, on the organisation and authority of the Agriculture and Livestock Service
\u25cb Decree-law No. 3,557 on Agriculture Protection.
\u25cb Implementation of stricter traceability requirements for fresh produce and animal-origin exports, incorporating blockchain-based certification systems in some sectors.
\u25cb Introduction of maximum residue limits (MRLs) harmonised with Codex Alimentarius updates and key trading partners, particularly the EU and China.
\u25cb Expanded electronic certification systems (ePhyto) for faster and more secure phytosanitary documentation exchange with international markets.
\u25cb Strengthened biosecurity protocols for livestock and aquaculture facilities, aimed at preventing outbreaks of transboundary diseases.
\u25cb New Sustainability and Climate Adaptation Guidelines issued by the Ministry of Agriculture for primary producers, encouraging compliance with both environmental and market-driven sustainability standards.
\u25cf Exporters require official certification to trade products of animal origin, which corresponds to an official document, entitled Export Animal Health Certificate, in which the official veterinarian attests that the product being exported meets the requirements of the importing country.
\u25cf Authorisation must be obtained from\u00a0SAG<\/a>\u00a0(Chilean Agricultural and Livestock Service):
\u25cb livestock production facilities;
\u25cb Breeding;
\u25cb slaughtering; and
\u25cb processing animals or animal products for export or import into Chile.
\u25cf All agricultural products imported into the country must meet all phytosanitary requirements set out by the law and governmental regulations for that specific product, which have to be verified by SAG (the government agency responsible for the development of agriculture, forests and livestock) to enter Chile.
\u25cf The Ministry of Agriculture maintains an online application to check the phytosanitary import and export requirements established by SAG, which was upgraded in 2024 to include real-time status tracking and multilingual access for international users. There is an online\u00a0application<\/a>\u00a0created by the Ministry of Agriculture where you can check the phytosanitary import and export requirements established by SAG.<\/p>

Primary Business Opportunities<\/h4>
Export Health Certificates<\/h5>

Since October 2020, the UK and Chile have been working on agreeing new Export Health Certificates (EHCs) for exports of animals and products of animal origin from the UK to Chile. This has been very successful with 16 EHCs approved to date. This creates a great potential opportunity for UK companies \u2013 opening up a total import market worth approximately \u00a31.4BN (Facts and Figures for the Chile wins approved by CREST).<\/p>

Between 2022 and 2025<\/strong>, collaboration has continued to deepen, with updates to several EHCs to align with evolving Chilean sanitary and phytosanitary requirements, as well as the introduction of new certificates covering high-demand products such as dairy derivatives, pet food, and aquaculture feed. The process has been further streamlined through the adoption of electronic certification systems, reducing approval times and improving traceability. This enhanced framework has contributed to a steady increase in UK-Chile trade flows for animal-origin products, with year-on-year growth in both volume and value reported since 2023:<\/p>

1. EHC for ovine\/caprine semen
2. EHC for Ovine\/Caprine ova\/in vivo derived embryos
3. EHC for frozen bovine semen
4. EHC for milk and dairy products
5. EHC for Pet Food and dog chews
6. EHC for Equidae (definitive import)
7. EHC for bovine embryos
8. EHC for registered horses
9. EHC for Ready-made meals
10. EHC for Pig Fat or Lard
11. EHC for Bovine Meat
12. EHC for Blood Products
13. EHC for Collagen for Human Consumption
14. EHC for Chilled and Frozen Pork
15. EHC for lab rodents
16. EHC for equine semen<\/p>

Following agreement of these EHC during 2021, DEFRA submitted during 2022 the following certificates for exports from the UK to Chile for SAG approval:<\/p>

17. EHC for Casings from Sus Scrofa Domestica (Pig)
18. EHC for Processed Meat Products (Pork\/Beef)
19. EHC for Gelatine for Human Consumption to Chile
20. EHC for Viscera meals, meat and bone meal and pure or mixed poultry, pig and equine oils or fats.<\/p>

Developments 2022\u20132025:<\/p>