b'Counter-Season in a PandemicHow seed companies navigated the growing season in Chile during COVID-19. Treena Hein THIS YEAR,as every year, U.S. and globalAs per April 5, 2021 the Chilean government said seed companies are running counter-seasonall non-resident foreign visitors are not allowed to trials and seed production in Chile. Although 2020enter Chile. The only exception is for non-resident was obviously differentand incredibly moreforeign nationals with specific permits or visas challengingthan other years, business activitiesissued by a Chilean Consulate allowing you to enter proceeded very close to normal despite COVID- during this specific period. The Chilean authorities 19. Lets take a close look at how some companieswill reassess this restriction at the end of May. All (and Chilean agencies) are achieving this, overcom- Chilean borders are closed. ing the challenges of operating during a pandemic half a hemisphere away. Smooth SailingLets first check in with Jim Schweigert, presi- Eduardo de la Sotta, general manager at Curimapu dent of Wisconsin-based Gro Alliance. His companyExport, reported in late October 2020 that opera- Sending the seed operates a joint venture in Chile called CIS Alliance,tions at his firm were proceeding normally.as soon as possible with CIS Semillas (part of Chile-based agriculturalThe seed import is almost finished, he said, firm CIS Agro). It offers nursery services for rowmost of the fields are planted and everything wasto Chile is one of the crops, oilseeds, vegetables and cereal grains justdone properly. main challenges, south of Santiago. Station manager Paulina SalasDe la Sotta explained that once the border is fully and her team handle the 60-acre nursery, plantingopen, those who need to come to Chile for businessas well as all the and executing all the protocols for crossing, harvest,will have to apply for special permission ahead of shelling and shipping seed to clients.time, providing reason for the visit and a set date ofplanning must be In a normal year, I go to Chile in December toentry. Staff at Chilean companies and ANPROS (thedone. see how the fields are doing and look at our needsChilean Seed Association) are available to help. De for the rest of the season, Schweigert says. I gola Sotta adds that because the Chilean government Mario Schindlerdown again to review progress of the crops inhas declared agriculture to be of strategic impor-January or February, and then go back in Marchtance, even if a city is put into lockdown, all those during harvest and shipping.involved in ag-related activities such as seed produc-In March 2020, Schweigert was not able to traveltion will be able to move within and in/out of a city to Chile. However, he says there were no issues inwith their permissions paperwork and identification.shipping seed out of Chile to the U.S. at that point Curimapu Exports staff are providing fieldand the firms seed also arrived as normal inupdates through a new online platform thats been Chile for planting. According to Schweigert, therein development since March. were quite a few hoops to jump through to travel toCustomers can login and check on pictures and Chile in Dec. 2020 due to on and off lockdowns. Hevideos of each field taken at the ground level and expects to be able to visit in Nov. 2021.with a drone. 64/ SEEDWORLD.COMINTERNATIONAL EDITION 2021'