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Chile has a modern and developed food and beverage processing industry. The Chilean food sector is the second most relevant export sector in the country after mining. There are significant opportunities for imported food ingredients in Chile, as half of all ingredients used by the food processing industry are imported.

For MY 2024/25, Post estimates that wheat area harvested will total 195,000 hectares (ha), a 2.5 percent decrease from MY 2023/24 to due to high input costs and low prices. Wheat production will reach 1.17 million metric tons (MMT).

Marketing year 2023/2024 wheat production is expected to drop sharply to around three-quarters of last year’s level as a result of the June drought and excessive rains in the fall of 2023 that affected Kazakhstan’s major grain producing Northern region.

In 2024, political uncertainty will continue to diminish, and GDP will grow between 1.25 and 2.25 percent due to a recovery in consumption. This will bring opportunities for U.S. exporters looking to ship products to Chile. Agricultural GDP grew firmly in the past three years, reaching $28.9 billion in 2023.

On December 29, 2023, the Ministry of Trade and Integration announced the first stage of 2024 meat and poultry quotas by HS code for historic suppliers (i.e., importers). The first stage approved the distribution of 2,835 tons of beef and 31,500 tons of poultry.

Chile presents excellent export opportunities for U.S. food and beverage exporters. After record-setting exports in 2021, shipments of U.S. agricultural and related products to Chile reached $1.1 billion in 2022.

In marketing year (MY) 2023/24, Post projects lemon production to grow by 6.7 percent and reach 175,000 metric tons (MT) due to high profits and an increase in area planted.

In March 2021, Kazakhstan put in place a ban on breeding cattle and ram exports. The ban remains in place. An annual, per operation export quota has been added for exports of bulls of 12-months of age or older and rams of 6-months of age or older; the quota is regularly updated.

On December 13, 2023, Chile and the European Union (EU) signed an updated Free Trade Agreement, or Advanced Framework Agreement as it is currently termed. The new agreement expands market access for Chilean products to the European market and grants expansive protections for 216 geographical indications (GIs), including many commonly used names like feta, gruyere, kölsch, and parmesan.

This year’s report does not contain significant changes from last year’s report. Chile continues allowing the reproduction of seeds under strict control of the Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG) of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Chile and the European Union (EU) are finalizing an Advanced Framework Agreement (AFA) that includes recognition of 216 EU geographical indications (GIs) and commonly used names such as feta, gruyere, kölsch, and parmesan.

In marketing year (MY) 2023/24, due to favorable climatic conditions and abundant rainfall in the winter, Post estimates that avocado production will total 200,000 metric tons (MT), a 21.2 percent increase from MY 2022/23. Area planted will total 32,710 hectares, a one percent growth from MY 2022/23.