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First Experimental Agroforestry Center Established in Ñuble
The Forestry Institute (Infor) and the Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG), both entities under the Ministry of Agriculture, signed an agreement to create the first Regional Experimental Center for Agroforestry and Forest Diversification in Ñuble.
The facility will be located at the San José de Bellavista estate in the commune of San Nicolás and will focus on researching agroforestry systems and restoring degraded soils. The land, owned by SAG, spans a total of 462.4 hectares, of which 77.8 hectares were granted to Infor under a usufruct agreement.
The executive director of the Forestry Institute, Sandra Gacitúa, stated that "this Regional Experimental Center for Agroforestry and Forest Diversification reinforces our regional vision and becomes a great opportunity for the community, as it will promote more sustainable practices and concrete solutions for the people of the territory."
Among the interventions Infor will carry out are silvopastoral systems, agrosilvicultural systems, windbreaks, watercourse protection, biomass production forests, honey-producing orchards, and the restoration of native species.
"These actions aim to diversify production, promote sustainable management of agricultural soils, and improve the quality of life for farmers and their families," added Gacitúa.
The national director of SAG, José Guajardo, praised the collaboration between both institutions and emphasized that "this center will be of critical importance, as it will be highly useful for all farmers. They will be able to experiment, learn, and see what grows best in the territory in an open space."
In this regard, he highlighted that this usufruct agreement "allows us to forge alliances not only with Infor but also with Indap, Conaf, CIREN, and local municipal services, ensuring this truly becomes a benchmark for agriculture."
Direct Benefit to Ñuble's Economy
The presidential delegate of Ñuble, Rodrigo García, affirmed that the signing of this agreement between Infor and SAG "will establish a working mechanism that will directly benefit the region's economy, as we all know Ñuble is primarily a forestry and agricultural region."
However, the Regional Experimental Center for Agroforestry and Forest Diversification will not only conduct local research but also contribute to the bill establishing an Incentive System for Sustainable Management of Agricultural Soils (SIGESS), currently in its second constitutional review in the Senate.
Álvaro Sotomayor, head of Infor's Agroforestry Systems Research Line, explained that the usufruct agreement has an initial term of 12 years, renewable automatically, enabling experimental activities in dryland areas.
"These will not only benefit the Ñuble Region but their results can also be applied in the Maule and Biobío regions, facilitating the development of technical prescriptions for the bill under discussion," he asserted.
Additionally, as part of interinstitutional cooperation, Infor will train SAG officials and other Ministry of Agriculture personnel in the region to strengthen their technical capacities.
