WorldPoultry: Chile finances free range poultry project

Chile's Foundation for Agricultural Innovation is to finance the design and implementation of an associative model of "free range" egg production in the country.

The Foundation for Agrarian Innovation (FIA), an agency of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Government of Chile (MINAGRI), has earmarked $1,420 million to co-finance, over the next year, a total of 42 projects in the food sector and forestry. From this, the Chilean poultry industry will receive funding for the project on "free range" production.

Innovation initiatives focus on agriculture, livestock and aquaculture, with special emphasis on issues such as precision agriculture, non-conventional renewable energy and development of new food products. The initiatives were presented mainly by micro and small enterprises, according Chile's Foundation for Agricultural Innovation.

"The selection process placed emphasis on projects that addressed key areas of the future, such as the energy sector, technological development and sustainability," said FIA Executive Director, Fernando Bas.

In the poultry sector, the highlighted the project will seek the design and implementation of an associative model of "free range" egg production, with full traceability to consumers under the fair-trade system. The project will be located in the Metropolitan Region.