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Association of Forestry Contractors on Wildfires: "The inefficiency we've seen is brutal"

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The Manager of the Association of Forestry Contractors (Acoforag), René Muñoz, spoke on La Mañana de Agricultura about the impact that the more than 425,000 hectares consumed by the severe wildfires recorded in the country have had on the industry.

"It's a disaster, a patrimonial loss for the country. It's not just a loss of forests, but also of wildlife, flora, traditions, agriculture, and livestock. When we face this again—and we didn’t learn from what happened—the disaster multiplies by two," he stated.
"This means we will likely continue to face these elements. The truth is, the inefficiency seen in this episode is brutal, not just for the forestry sector but for the entire country," Muñoz asserted.

"The conditions, climate change, and general warnings indicated a special situation was coming—conditions ripe for wildfires. When this is announced, the truth is, we must prepare. We cannot have a country where we assume or plan operationally thinking, 'A certain number of hectares will burn,'" he declared.

In this regard, the Acoforag manager emphasized that "we must work to prevent this from happening—that’s where I feel inefficiency is evident. The state must invest in the country, its nature, and its development. Today, the truth is, vineyards have burned, fields have burned, crops, forests, homes, equipment—everything has burned."

"Forests don’t burn on their own; trees don’t burn on their own. It’s true that any sector requires different regulations and improvements over time. I believe the forestry sector is highly open to analyzing new protocols and procedures. It’s preferable that after the tragedy, the sector and authorities calmly sit down to discuss the new conditions that need to be established," he stated.

"We need to keep talking with other industries about what the forestry sector means for the country. We believe the future discussion with the government, industries, and institutions must be a serious one, where conclusions are drawn, so we can continue developing this sector, which is very important for the country," he concluded.

Source:www.radioagricultura.cl