A few weeks ago, Álvaro Eyzaguirre took on a new challenge as Executive Director of the Natural Resources Information Center (CIREN), an agricultural service under Chile’s Ministry of Agriculture.

In an interview with Blueberries News, Eyzaguirre—an Agronomist with a specialization in Plant Sciences from the Pontificia Universidad Católica—shares his perspective on the evolution of the blueberry industry in Chile.

In this regard, he notes that the sector is undergoing a transition from an extensive expansion model to one focused on production optimization, varietal rationalization, and agroclimatic adaptation. “The data from the CIREN-ODEPA Fruit Cadastre constitutes the most accurate tool to interpret this transition based on territorial evidence,” he states.

He adds that the country’s total fruit-growing area reached 383,354.8 hectares in 2025, with an average annual growth rate of 2.2% over the past five years. Within this context, blueberries account for approximately 14,020 hectares, with a presence from the Coquimbo Region to the south of the country.

“The regional distribution has changed significantly over the past decade. Currently, the Maule Region leads with 4,436 hectares, followed by Ñuble with 3,226 hectares. In contrast, regions such as Biobío, La Araucanía, and Los Ríos—which previously led production—have recorded declines of between 13% and 22% in the 2025 surveys.”

Meanwhile, regions between Coquimbo and O’Higgins now show a smaller planted area at the national level. “At CIREN, we assess the blueberry industry as mature and in the midst of a strategic renewal process. Territorial data from the cadastre is essential to guide this process with evidence rather than intuition,” he emphasizes.

 International competition and the strategic role of information

Regarding the international scenario, especially in light of Peru’s growth, Eyzaguirre emphasizes that Chile’s response must focus on differentiation, quality, and precision in decision-making.

“The mandate of CIREN is not to produce fruit, but to generate knowledge about the territory where it is produced. Our role is to close the information gaps that currently limit decision-making in the sector,” he explains.

Among the key initiatives, he highlights the development of a varietal map at the municipal level, based on the cadastre that already identifies the variety present in each production block.

The next step will be to move toward a species- and variety-specific visualization system, with annual updates for blueberries. This will make it possible to identify areas with low-return varieties, analyze the pace of varietal replacement by province, and detect territories suitable for new genetics. “The 2024 cadastre already incorporated an online visualizer as a concrete step in this direction. Deepening it with blueberry-specific varietal layers is the natural next step,” he adds.

Toward a data-driven agriculture

Another key focus, Eyzaguirre explains, is the integration of soil, climate, and fruit cadastre data to build production suitability models. “CIREN simultaneously manages soil, climate, and territorial information. Integrating these layers will allow the development of soil–climate suitability models to guide investment decisions with the level of precision that today’s markets demand,” he states.

He also highlights the importance of advancing the availability of geospatial data to the private sector, which would help improve both production management and the design of public policies.

Varietal renewal

Regarding varietal renewal, Eyzaguirre emphasizes that the true value of the fruit cadastre lies in its longitudinal analysis. “The cadastre is a series of three-year snapshots of long-term production decisions. Its value lies in comparative analysis over time and in its integration with agroclimatic and market variables,” he explains.

In this sense, he concludes that when this information reaches producers in a timely, accessible, and territorially detailed manner, it becomes a concrete management tool and a competitive advantage for the industry.