Chile: Cooperativa de Puerto Natales increased lettuce production thanks to a heated nursery

Published May 10, 2021

Tridge summary

The Ñuque Mapu cooperative, formed by six farmers in Puerto Natales, Chile, has achieved success in organic lettuce cultivation using 2,500 square meters of plastic crops. They have extended the lettuce season through a germination room and air-conditioned nursery, increasing harvests from three to five per year. With support from the Institute for Agricultural Development (INDAP) and the Foundation for Agrarian Innovation (FIA), they are enhancing their production and sustainability practices. The cooperative is exploring the possibility of hiring an agronomist engineer and plans to expand their activities, including compost production, strawberry cultivation, and creating an educational farm. They face the challenge of meeting Magallanes' horticultural demand, particularly with only 25% of demand met locally. The cooperative values the support from INDAP in promoting organic production and sustainable agriculture.

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Original content

Sprayers - Nebulizers We manufacture in Chile Gloves for agricultural work Lettuce has always been an essential food in the Magellanic diet - along with meat and potatoes - and that is why Nirmia Salamanca (36) and her family, small farmers in Puerto Natales , decided to pour body and soul into the organic cultivation of the Grand Rapids variety of this vegetable, to offer a top quality regional product to the inhabitants of the area. "Here there are farmers who have diversified, incorporating cherry tomatoes and other crops that are used more in gourmet dishes, but lettuce is still the queen and it is also profitable," says this young mother who abandoned her career as a journalist to work the land together with his parents, Martín Salamanca (75) and Ximena Ascencio (64), and his brothers Martín (34), Maryory (38) and Jorge (40), who also left their activities to become farmers. The six formed the Ñuque Mapu (Mother Earth) family cooperative and have 2,500 square meters of crops ...

Source: CLportalagro