Coquimbo avocado growers warn of losses due to fruit fly control measures

Small-scale avocado farmers in Chile’s Coquimbo Region have warned that measures imposed by Chile’s Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG) to control fruit fly could leave them facing massive losses.

Growers in Monte Patria face marketing restrictions and crop disposal requirements as SAG ramps up sanitary protocols in a bid to bring the pest under control.

Diario El Día cited one case of one grower in Lomitas de Carén who estimates that he could lose up to 15 tonnes of fruit after being forced to strip fruit from their trees. The producer noted that the measure was not triggered by a detection on his own property, but rather by the application of an intervention radius following a nearby capture. Regulations mandate action within a 200-metre radius, an area where growers are required to strip the fruit from the trees.

While acknowledging that the procedure follows established sanitary protocols, the farmer warned that the economic impact is significant for those who rely on their seasonal harvests.

Farmers also raised concerns about the gap between potential compensation payments and the market value of their crop. Ricardo Villalón, who represents small-scale growers in El Palqui, noted that in some instances, producers might receive payments close to US$0.86/kg – well below the actual market value of the fruit.

Monte Patria mayor Cristian Herrera Peña described the situation as an emergency for the municipality. According to the mayor, the fruit fly has become a widespread problem across the area, severely impacting farmers who have lost crops or faced restrictions on their ability to sell their produce.

Herrera highlighted the need for support for those who have suffered losses for a second consecutive season. Consequently, he called on the relevant authorities to activate mechanisms such as disaster declarations or special funds to assist the affected producers.

However, the Agriculture Ministry defended the control measures. Vicente Cortés of the Regional Ministerial Secretariat (Seremi) of Agriculture, acknowledged the concerns of small-scale farmers but emphasized that the measures aim to protect the country’s sanitary status. He maintained that while there is a significant impact, it is also necessary to “safeguard our phytosanitary and animal health assets”.

Cortés added that the Ministry of Agriculture has been working in the field alongside SAG (Agriculture and Livestock Service) and INDAP (Institute of Agricultural Development) to support producers. Furthermore, he noted that in late 2025, 31 farmers from Monte Patria, Río Hurtado, and Ovalle received support, and that the collective insurance scheme for fruit fly outbreaks is currently out for tender.

Meanwhile, SAG Regional Director Luis Morales Azócar said the agency’s primary mission is to protect phytosanitary and animal health assets and keep Chile free of the fruit fly. He also highlighted the direct coordination with producers in the affected areas and the existence of a bi-weekly working group in Monte Patria designed to address needs and explain eradication processes.

This situation reflects the tension faced by fruit-growing regions when a sanitary emergency necessitates control measures that, while intended to protect the country’s phytosanitary status, directly impact the economies of small-scale producers.