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Security and Promotion of Forest Plantations Mark Special Session of Economy Commission in Biobío

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• In the agricultural sector, stakeholders called for new reservoirs and a credit system aligned with their profitability and timelines. Additionally, there was consensus on the complex situation facing the regional industry.

Security, permitting, and the promotion of forest plantations were among the priorities raised by regional associations before members of the Senate's Economy Commission, which held a special session at the auditorium of the Faculty of Humanities and Arts at the University of Concepción and at the Catholic University of the Most Holy Conception (UCSC).

During the session held at UdeC, associations such as CPC Biobío, Corma, Corbiobío, Irade, and Socabio presented, along with companies like Asenav, Asmar, Arauco, and the director of IIT, Andrea Moraga.

Additionally, Dr. Carlos Saavedra, rector of the University of Concepción, introduced the innovative doctoral program in Artificial Intelligence, highlighting the inter-university collaboration that brought the program to life, the funding from the Biobío Regional Government, and its contribution in the context of transitioning the regional productive matrix.

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Álvaro Ananías, president of CPC Biobío, an association representing regional businesses, stated, "Biobío is a region with a strong forestry, fishing, and manufacturing DNA. Today, these three pillars of our area are facing complex times—the forestry sector has lost a third of its assets, with 200,000 hectares burned. Small landowners now lack the means to replant, leading to a shortage of forest mass. We see news like CMPC opening a plant in Brazil when we would have preferred it to be in Biobío. We cannot afford to lose competitiveness as a region."

Paul Esquerré, president of Irade, commented on the special session of the Senate's Economy Commission in the area: "The diagnosis by CPC Biobío aligns with ours at Irade. Indeed, we face many challenges that are making the regional economy go through very complex times. We believe innovation in transforming our productive matrix must focus on talent and also modernize established industries—some of which are threatened by the Fishing Law, which will likely have a major impact. Our forestry industry is struggling with security issues, leaving thousands of hectares inaccessible for harvesting and causing significant losses for medium-sized sawmills, severely affecting SMEs. Huachipato also faces a tremendous challenge to remain profitable. We cannot overlook security as a priority for the government’s agenda."

Alejandro Casagrande, president of Corma Biobío Ñuble, said, "We find it very positive that the Senate's Economy Commission held its session here, as the region is facing a complex problem. The forestry sector is in crisis, shrinking by 35,000 hectares annually and losing 3,200 jobs each year—32,000 jobs in a decade. We hope the commission listens to our proposed solutions, which directly address security issues. Progress has been made in the area, but we must resolve this and implement incentives for small and medium landowners to recover."

José Miguel Stegmeier, president of Socabio, an association representing the agricultural sector in the region, first emphasized the urgency of effectively reducing security issues. He also stressed that "our area depends on irrigation, yet no reservoirs are under construction or even planned. Small, medium, and large reservoirs are essential, as is securing resources for farm irrigation planning and canal lining."

The president of Socabio added other priorities for his association, such as "the need for a credit system better suited to the agricultural sector, its profitability, and timelines. Currently, we face unresolved financing issues, and we hope BancoEstado, other banks, and Corfo can adapt to agricultural realities. Additionally, there’s the matter of promoting forest plantations, as already mentioned here."

José Miguel Stegmeier also pointed out the need to modify agricultural reappraisals. "The SII is mistaken in how it applies these reappraisals—they should consider the productive capacity of the land, not real estate factors."

Gastón Saavedra, a Biobío region senator and member of the Senate's Economy Commission, stated, "There was room for different productive sectors to present their proposals for the future development of the industries shaping the region’s industrial processes. This will allow us to take on the challenge of transforming the industrial matrix, decarbonizing it, and ensuring sustainability. That’s where green hydrogen production comes in—integrating it into various productive sectors is our task."

Source:www.diarioconcepcion.cl