Browse Data and Analysis

The Chilean food processing industry is a highly developed and competitive sector, playing a crucial role in the national economy.

For marketing year (MY) 2025/26, Post estimates that the wheat area harvested will total 193,000 hectares (ha), representing a 1.0 percent decrease from MY 2024/25 due to high input costs and low prices.

Salmon is Chile’s largest food and agricultural export and the second largest total export sector after copper. In 2021, exports totaled 615 thousand metric tons worth $4.8 billion. Production is growing rapidly; Chilean salmon production grew an average of 10.4 percent between 2016 and 2020 and totaled 1.1 million metric tons (MMT) in 2020.

Citrus production in Chile increased the past ten marketing years. Lemons and mandarins became a profitable alternative to table grape and avocado producers in the regions of Coquimbo, Valparaíso, Metropolitana and O’Higgins. Production of oranges remains relevant, but area planted has not increased as with lemons and mandarins.