Initiative aims to strengthen the value chain of mussel farming in the Los Lagos region through the transfer of knowledge, co-design with producer communities and the development of an integrated and intelligent traceability system.
In order to strengthen the mussel farming activity in the region and add value, the Regional Fund for Productivity and Development for Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation Initiatives of the Los Lagos Regional Government funded the program "Strengthening the productive development of the mussel farming industry through R&D+i focused on people and geo-informatics engineering".
The program was awarded to the University of Santiago (USACh) and has the support of the National Service of Fisheries and Aquaculture (Sernapesca) and AmiChile for its implementation.
To start the program, on Tuesday, July 28, a launch ceremony was held in the Blue Hall, Puerto Montt, and prior to that, in April, an on-site activity was carried out, where representatives from Sernapesca, USACH and AmiChile visited cockle farms to learn about the seed planting and harvesting processes. Subsequently, they visited a mussel processing plant, observing the productive flow from the entry of the resource until its final preparation for export.
The national director of Sernapesca, Soledad Tapia Almonacid, who arrived in Puerto Montt to launch this programme highlighted this type of initiative which increases the value of an activity of great importance for the region: "Providing funding to promote a more competitive, sustainable and traceable mussel farming is a great support for the productive sector. From Sernapesca we supervise, but we also do" support for our users to meet regulatory requirements throughout the entire production chain, that is, from seed planting to export, and in the process of meeting the requirements of new markets.
The project aims to strengthen the mussel farming value chain in the Los Lagos region through the transfer of knowledge, co-design with producer communities and the development of an integrated and intelligent traceability system.
Regional governor Alejandro Santana Tirachini said, “We are taking a decisive step for the economic future of the Los Lagos region. Our mussel farms account for nearly 99% of national production, provide more than 17 thousand jobs and generate over 300 million dollars in exports each year. That is why we need to modernise the sector. Today, more than 1,400 participants in the sector use multiple systems, creating more of 115 thousand movements and hundreds of face-to-face procedures, which directly impact their competitiveness, therefore, as Regional Government, we are promoting a project of 300 million pesos that will allow to develop a unique, intelligent and interoperable digital traceability system, incorporating tools such as artificial intelligence, automatic alerts, and direct support to producers. This initiative will not only reduce costs and time, but also, will position our region as a leader in aquaculture innovation.”
Finally, Mauricio Marín, an academic at the University of Santiago and director of the Center for Innovation in Information Technologies for Social Applications (CITIAPS) referred to the objectives of the program that they lead: “The main objective is to build a modern traceability system for the mill industry, in which we must do a job to raise the needs throughout the production chain, passing from the seed harvesting, fattening, processing, until domestic marketing and export, therefore the programme of activities is very diverse, and we must develop information technology relevant to each of the productive stages of the mussel production sector.”
The strengthening of mussel cultivation represents a productive and economic opportunity for the region, not only in the context of the domestic market but also with a view to expanding its presence in the international market, being a significant contribution to food security, considering the outstanding nutritional qualities of choritos.
