Small-scale aquaculture had a prominent presence, with the support of INDESPA and the technical assistance of the Fundación Cocinamar.
Small aquaculturists from different areas of the country made their presence felt in Space Food & Service 2024, fair that took place between 1 and 3 October in the Metropolitan Region and which brought together the most important actors in the country's food industry.
In the twelfth edition of this event, small-scale aquaculture had a prominent presence, as it counted on the support of National Institute for the Sustainable Development of Artisanal Fisheries and Small-Scale Aquaculture, INDESPA, in addition to the technical assistance of the Cooking Foundation.
Among the aquaculturists who presented their products at the Seafood Pavilion was Carolina Muñoz, cultivator of algae like hair, lichen gomoso and chicorea of Bahía Inglesa, region of Atacama, who showed the innovations that it is making in the north of the country, such as leaflets of cochayuyo.
Another organization that participated was the Union of Seamen's Divers and Boat Collectors of the Port of Caldera (SIBUCAL), who are dedicated to the cultivation of the northern oyster and who will soon be able to grow oysters through a project supported by Indespa.
Also from the Atacama region, Bruce Trench (Delight Island)who has years of experience in the production of seafood, exposed the value-added products that today offers, such as oysters, oysters and piures.
In addition, the Union of Fishermen and Marketers of Products of the Sea of Caletas Chasco, Bahia Salada and Caleta del Medio (SITIMAR), shared news about its upcoming harvest of more than 120 thousand northern scallops.
From the Biobío region, Jessica Cabrera, of Tomé, presented his Japanese oysters, which he cultivated as Marina Coliumo Farm. “We were able to learn about new business opportunities and new developments from other producers in the country. We had contact with other people and mentoring super relevant to our business. I’m going super happy, as I had a chip change with what happened here in Santiago,” Cabrera said.
Representing the Coquimbo region was present Greek Fishermen's Association of Tongoy, an entity that carried its famous oysters, molluscs that have grown for more than 30 years, as well as showing other products that extract divers and collectors, such as madmen and machas.
In addition, Cristian Espinoza, producer of Queilen mussels (Cultivation High Wall), Chiloé province, carried its star product, which is frozen IQF chorito, with a different process ready for consumption. “It has been a success for us. He fulfilled all expectations, since we were able to form an interesting trilogy between Indespa, Cocinamar and us, in such a way that we were able to reach out and contact the people with whom we need to relate at this stage of our business,” explained the acuicultor of the region of The Lakes.
Polinia Mansilla, producer of Quemchi, also came from Chiloé to show his entrepreneurship Chiloé Mil Sabores, which is dedicated to producing, smoking and dehydrating holgas and choritos, and then packing them in dressing format, and thus incorporating them into different preparations.
Positive balance
After the successful participation of the delegation of producers of the sea, Leonardo Llanos Huerta, National Director of INDESPA“We are very pleased with the positive outcome of this first experience for the eight small-scale aquaculture farmers, who were able to present their products at this important international Food & Service fair. They had the possibility to show what they are doing, the effort, the work of aquaculture, and they were able to generate networks of contact between them and with different companies,” said Llanos.
For the representative of the institution, “the latter is precisely one of our objectives with this initiative, to be able to improve marketing precisely by providing opportunities for the different aquaculture and aquaculture producers, who do their work perfectly, to have the possibility to connect with the market, develop new businesses, boost and dynamise the work they do in their centers of cultivation”.
From Cooking Foundation They highlighted the opportunity to participate in the largest food fair in the country, providing the technical advice necessary for the good performance of aquaculture and aquaculture workers. “We believe that the goals were more than achieved, as they generated a number of commercial contacts, received many customers, many potential buyers and introduced small-scale aquaculture. This was a new opportunity for many of they, since some participated for the first time in a fair”, he emphasized Gilda Medina, journalist and communications officer at Cucinamar.
In the opinion of the professional it was very good to bring together fish farmers with different realities and from different areas of the country. “It was very nice and important for them to share visions, knowledge and experiences,” said Medina.
Images Contributed by Fundación Cocinamar.
