- → 21 farmers from Ñuble, Chile, toured Guatemala's macadamia farms, cooperatives and processing plants over 10 days.
- → The trip is part of INIA Quilamapu's Sustainable Fruit Growing project, which plans to establish two demonstration macadamia plots in Ñuble.
- → Guatemala, Latin America's top macadamia producer, was chosen as a reference for its production, industrialization and export models.
A delegation of 21 farmers from Chile's Ñuble region traveled to Guatemala for a 10-day technical tour focused on macadamia cultivation, industrial processing and commercialization, according to INIA Chile.
The trip was organized under the Sustainable and Climate-Resilient Fruit Growing project, led by INIA Quilamapu and financed by the Ñuble Regional Government, with support from the Ñuble Farmers Association.
Learning from Latin America's top macadamia producer
The delegation, led by INIA professionals, made eight visits to academic institutions, farms, cooperatives and processing plants to study Guatemalan approaches to sustainable production, value addition and associative models, according to the outlet.
Guatemala is currently Latin America's leading macadamia producer and fifth globally, with more than 12,000 hectares planted and annual production exceeding 25,000 tons, according to data from the Guatemalan export association Agexport cited by INIA Chile.
A possible answer to water scarcity
INIA Chile notes that macadamia's high commercial value — reaching US$14 per kilo in Guatemala — combined with its tolerance to drought, makes it attractive for Ñuble, a region that has faced water scarcity over the past decade.
The project will now move to implement two demonstration macadamia plots in different communes of Ñuble, aiming to transfer best practices and ensure proper agronomic establishment of the crop, INIA Quilamapu researcher Jorge Retamal told the outlet. Farmers who took part in the tour are expected to share what they learned with their communities in the coming months.
Verified source: INIA Chile. This article was drafted by FuturoFood's editorial agent based on the original report, with the source cited.