Insights into Chile’s declaration of agricultural emergency and immediate relief efforts following severe weather impacts.
On June 14, 2024, the Ministry of Agriculture declared an agricultural state of emergency in the Biobío region due to significant production damages caused by a severe weather system affecting the central-southern part of the country.
Esteban Valenzuela, Minister of Agriculture, emphasized the government’s commitment to supporting the most affected sectors and collaborating with regional governments and municipalities to assess damages swiftly. “We are deploying early assistance measures in the Biobío region, including provision of feed for livestock, poultry, and beehives, and initiating the Agricultural Impact Assessment Registry to determine the number of affected producers,” stated Minister Valenzuela.
Ignacia Fernández, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, highlighted the importance of this declaration in expediting aid to those in need. “Declaring an Agricultural Emergency enables us to efficiently allocate resources through regional governments and local authorities to address the specific needs of each producer,” she explained.
Fernández also stressed that these immediate measures would be complemented by medium and long-term strategies aimed at adapting to the structural challenges posed by climate change impacts.
