International delegation visited companies such as Innovex, Lago Sofia, ADL Diagnostic and VeHiCe, in a day organized by ProChile to strengthen the internationalization of aquaculture suppliers in the Los Lagos Region.
The eggs that give rise to salmon, one of the leading exports of the Los Lagos region and of Chile, measure only a few millimetres. They were the starting point for a technical visit organised by ProChile during ENEXPRO 2025 to show importers from Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Ecuador and Canada first-hand what the local industry can do. The delegation was also joined by a commercial representative of Saudi Arabia.
The first stop was at Lago Sofia fish farming, where the importers learned how a tiny egg becomes, through innovation and health control, a smolt ready for the sea. This tour, which reflects the start of the salmon production cycle and the technological level that supports it, was complemented by visits to VeHiCe, ADL Diagnostic Chile and Innovex, companies that today export high value solutions and services to the global aquaculture
The regional director of ProChile in Los Lagos, Ricardo Arriagada, highlighted the value of the export meeting ENEXPRO, Diversify Your Market: "We are very satisfied because the importers valued the visits to the region and took away a clear view of the potential we have in aquaculture innovation and technology. We showed that here we not only produce salmon, but also knowledge and services applicable to other species such as tilapia, Shrimps and various seafood products. This experience confirms that the internationalization of our suppliers is key to diversifying markets and positioning the region as a hub of innovation for global aquaculture.
Franco Cerda, Chilean aquaculture engineer based in Saudi Arabia and representative of Tilad Environment, said: "I was surprised to see how protocols and production procedures have been positively modified, which allows greater competitiveness in international markets. I was impressed by the development of modular technology and good practices for salmon production."
"We are very satisfied, because we know that the Chilean aquaculture industry has innovated a lot. Our goal as shrimp farmers is to absorb some of that knowledge and see how we adapt it to our industry. It has been a very enriching experience, with more than 20 meetings per entrepreneur. It has also been hard work, we thank them very much," said Cristian García, the project manager of Grupo DiosMar, Grupo Camaronero Arquípolis, of Ecuador.
The representative of Guatemala, Carlos Henríquez, of the company Oro del Pacífico, also of the shrimp sector, stressed that “everything very well, a very complete agenda, I think we will make contact with the laboratories to send some samples, to support us with a couple of analyses, about what is animal health,” he said.
Aquaculture Suppliers
Regional companies appreciated the opportunity to open up to new markets. Miguel Portus, CEO of Lago Sofía, said that the great novelty they could show importers was their individual recirculation system. “It’s completely different from what they are used to seeing. I was surprised by the number of questions and the interest in our control system, which allows monitoring in real time and adjusting the planning of production during the day”.
Meanwhile, Jonathan Álvarez, head of Marine Monitoring at Innovex, said: “For us it is extremely important to welcome people from other countries and show them the innovations we have developed in 18 years of experience. This is a unique opportunity for international connection.”
“It is very interesting to receive people who are from different countries, not only to exchange views and answer their questions, but to show them what we are doing and also to know a little what they require. Therefore, we are not only grateful for ProChile for having built this possibility, but also very happy to maintain the relationship with the people who have visited us, important companies and countries also interesting in the world of salmon, shrimp, tilapia, etc.,” concluded Patricio Bustos, general manager of ADL Diagnostic Chile.
The data of the meeting, delivered from Concepción and live via streaming, by the Director General of ProChile, Ignacio Fernández, indicate that 2,007 effective meetings were held, which project businesses for US$300,527,776 for the next twelve months. It is important to note that this data is obtained from information provided by the international buyers themselves through a survey that they complete at the end of each year. meeting with his Chilean counterpart.
The country's main export meeting took place in Santiago, Antofagasta, Concepción and Puerto Montt, and brought together more than 100 importers from 27 strategic markets across the five continents, consolidating Chile as a reliable partner in key sectors such as agriculture and food, forestry industry, packaging and packaging, health and well-being, solutions for agriculture, mining solutions, solutions for the aquaculture industry, defense no war and logistics.
