Chile: Nearly 70 potato producers participated in a training session hosted by SAG Biobío
It included training on the phytosanitary advantages of the Arauco province for seed potato production, the seed potato certification process, and the morphological and productive characteristics of the varieties.
Around 70 potato producers from the municipalities of Nacimiento in Biobío province; Cañete, Tirúa, and Los Álamos in Arauco province; and Cobquecura, Coelemu, Trehuaco, and El Carmen in the Ñuble region visited the SAG "Humán" Testing Station in Los Ángeles. During this time, they participated in an outreach program where they learned about the results of trials on 11 potato varieties.
The activity, attended by the Regional Secretary of Agriculture, Pamela Gatti, and the Regional Director of the SAG (Sector of Agricultural Agriculture) in Biobío, Roberto Ferrada, included training on the phytosanitary advantages of the Arauco province for seed potato production, the seed potato certification process, and the morphological and productive characteristics of the varieties.
In this regard, Regional Secretary Pamela Gatti stated that "together with the Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG), we are promoting the use and production of certified seeds, which is key to ensuring the quality and health of our crop production. Producers from the provinces of Arauco and Biobío were invited to attend."
In this regard, the regional director of SAG emphasized that "for us, this is a very important activity. It allows us to disseminate the benefits of acquiring certified potato seeds that are part of the supervision and surveillance program of the Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG). In the case of the Biobío region, this includes all potatoes that pass the procedures and are produced in the province of Arauco. Furthermore, it provides an opportunity for dialogue between seed producers in the province of Arauco and farmers in other areas or regions who use seeds to produce potatoes for consumption."
He added that "the province of Arauco is the northernmost province in Chile that can produce certified, high-quality potato seeds that are also free of quarantine diseases. Therefore, it is very significant to bring the world of potato seed production closer to the world, to the family farming community dedicated to cultivating this noble tuber."
For her part, Barbarita Gutiérrez, a certified potato seed producer from the Los Álamos community, said, “It has been very satisfying for me to attend these technical talks, as one learns a lot, learns about new varieties, and can share with farmers from different areas. This activity motivates us to continue growing and producing certified seeds, which has been a great help to my family. I hope many more women and farmers will join.”
Meanwhile, Germán Velázquez, a producer from Cobquecura in the Ñuble region, emphasized that "it’s always good to learn and have the necessary knowledge to make good decisions. It’s always good to know which seed is the best to acquire in order to meet the demands of your customers."
Juvenal Bravo, president of the Nacimiento Rural Communal Union, praised the fact that "Nacimiento has already seen the results of the potato festival, and the municipality is the one that started it. So, this meeting and training for potato producers is very good."
Potato quarantine disease-free area
The province of Arauco, as well as the Araucanía region and the south of the country, are free of the following potato quarantine diseases: golden nematode, pale nematode, potato smut, bacterial wilt, and phoma. To protect this area, the SAG, through the activities of the National Potato Health Program, carries out surveillance and advocacy actions such as crop surveys for disease detection; monitoring the use of legal seed, trade inspections, and mobile operations, among other activities.
This sanitary condition allows its producers to produce genetic material to sell to other producers in the region and the country, increasing their yields and earning higher incomes. The SAG is working with them to strengthen this sector through training on potato cultivation, diseases, seed selection, and other aspects, to which this trial is added.
In the province of Arauco, between 11 and 15 certified seedbeds have been established over the past two seasons, producing between 45,000 and 55,000 kilos of certified seed. For this season, 22 seedbeds are eligible for varietal certification. Their owners have learned about this process through training and activities organized by the SAG (National Agricultural Agricultural Service). These activities aim to improve the quality and health of potato crops and incentivize them to produce certified seed potatoes, adding economic value to their production.
On this occasion, farmers learned the results of trials on 11 potato varieties and how they perform in the Biobío region, their agronomic characteristics, and saw the tubers they produce in situ, as most of them are varieties that have only recently become available to producers.
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