Agro San Antonio

Undoubtedly, these last two years have been full of challenges and complexities for the world, for Chile and also for us at Agro San Antonio.

Carrying out our dream of producing the best fruit in and for the world in an environment hit by the pandemic, and in the complex social scenario of our country, has prompted us to work with more enthusiasm, professionalism and conviction to achieve our goals.

Our values, inspired by a family tradition linked to the Chilean countryside for more than a century of history, has been the engine that has given life to what we are today. Agro San Antonio is named after three generations that have left the best of themselves in these fertile lands of Pichidegua.

This company has understood from the beginning that each of its members is essential to generate value for the business. Joy and respect for people must be breathed in every corner of our fields, because we are convinced that if we all smile, our fruit will be richer and sweeter.

This year 2021, the measurement of the Organizational Climate in Agro San Antonio has
had an extraordinary result, reaching a rating by our collaborators of 6.6 out of 7.

Generating environments of trust and transparency have been our forms of behavior, along with correction and affection for what we do. In these more than two decades of life, we have given ourselves the freedom to learn, try, make mistakes and reinvent ourselves.

That’s right, innovation in an optimistic and responsible environment has always been welcome at Agro San Antonio and, without a doubt, is part of our seal. Examples of this have been our intensive shoring practices, our care for the organizational climate and our affection for the Roubidux rootstock.

We have also made progress in our concern for the environment, balancing our business mission with the protection of the terroir and its surroundings. There have been several initiatives that we have undertaken to take charge of caring for this land that has been so generous to us and we will surely continue advancing along that path.

In the same way, we have worked to generate a reciprocal relationship with Pichidegua, a town that houses people with a transparent look who with their effort and commitment have become part of us and our dream. The results fill us with satisfaction and pride, as we continue to systematically achieve record figures for exported fruit and with excellent productivity indicators.

I cannot fail to mention that the oranges from Agro San Antonio were the first to arrive in China in 2020, with the opening of this important market. This milestone fills us with pride, and at the same time, commits us to developing healthy and friendly fruit growing.

Finally, I would like to ratify Agro San Antonio’s commitment to produce the best fruit in and for the world, but always with a vision of a fair, inclusive, correct and joyful country.

There really is no point in working and dreaming if we don’t do it smiling and respecting each other. Only in this way will we be able to consolidate our citrus export position at a national and international level.

Agro San Antonio is a family owned business that has sustained its development and success from the love and commitment to the land and its people. This, coupled with an agricultural tradition with more than 100 years of history, has allowed us to consolidate ourselves as one of the main producers of oranges in the country.

These are the values ​​that set us in motion:

1.- Integrity: We act with transparency, honesty, ethics and respect towards people, suppliers, communities and institutions.

2.- Excellence: We seek to produce our fruit using the highest industry standards in all areas. We want to offer our customers the best flavor and color in the world.

3.- Trust: We generate honest and mutually beneficial long-term relationships.

4.- Commitment: We keep the promises made to our customers, workers, suppliers and the communities that shelter us.

5.- Passion: We love what we do and work so that our employees can develop in happy, respectful and meritocratic environments.

Agro San Antonio was born in 1999 as a family project in the town of Pichidegua, located 170 kilometers south west of Santiago, province of Cachapoal, region of the Liberator Bernardo O’Higgins.

The area, eminently agricultural, is part of the Cachapoal Valley and has a Mediterranean climate in a very fertile land of great agricultural value, conducive to the development of species such as citrus, corn, blueberries, table grapes, avocados, among other fruits and vegetables.

The Fukomoto variety, of Japanese origin, stands out for its sweetness, its attractive round shape and reddish orange color.

It was a challenge for Agro San Antonio, as there was not much experience with that variety in Chile and less in this area. However, the characteristics of the land and the weather made us think that good results could be obtained.

This is how in 2005 the plants were bought from the Huerto California nursery. A plantation frame with a density of 4.5 by 2 meters was used, in ridges and with technified irrigation.

The result was extraordinary. Already the following year the first oranges of great caliber were seen, with an intense reddish color, sweet flavor and with great amount of juice. We were facing a success.

As the weather had changed, the decision was made to pluck 5 hectares of avocado from one of the orchards and replace them with Fukumoto oranges. This time the existing ridges were used, but making an innovative planting system, since we placed the trees almost on trellis.

The first mature plantation achieved an extraordinary harvest of 60,000 kilos per hectare, beginning the harvest on June 1 with more than 10 degrees Brix. Soon we could conclude that this land was privileged and the climate was optimal for this variety of oranges and particularly with the pattern used.

In 2008, our company acquired the family field that had belonged to Antonio Valenzuela Celis, and it was decided to plant it full of Fukumoto oranges.

Various investments were made for this, the most important being the construction of a deep well, the implementation of technified irrigation and an electrical substation.

For this project the planting frame was 4 by 2 meters, in order to achieve a higher density and quantity of plants. In addition, the fertilizer system was improved and an automated water filtration system was implemented.

At this stage we received the advice of the Agrological company, which was a great help in the implementation of this challenge.

In 2013, an additional 14 hectares of Fukumoto were planted on Roubidux, (which had previously had Hass Avocado), with the aim of consolidating the project and meeting the challenge of producing the best oranges with the best flavor and color in the world .

After intense conversations with our advisors, at the end of 2015 the decision was made to plant, in a 7-hectare orchard, a new variety of oranges: Cara Cara.

For this project, Roubidux was again used as a pattern, which with its dwarfing effect, concentrator of flavors and sugars, made us assume that we would obtain a high quality product for the most demanding markets.

In 2019 it was the first harvest, obtaining an average production per hectare of 8,600 kilos. The fruit immediately showed the intensity of its internal color, its sweetness and its nutritional characteristics.

Agro San Antonio is a company that is characterized by a powerful and growth long-term vision. It is for that reason, that in 2017 a new project was completed consisting of the establishment of 16 hectares of Cara Cara oranges on Roubidux, (thus completing 23 hectares in total) that sought to consolidate the bet of the first plantation made just 2 years ago.

Together with the last Cara Cara plantation in the Larmahue orchard, Agro San Antonio decided to start with a new species. This time the chosen one was the lemon Messina.

Between October 2018 and February 2019, 21 hectares of Messina lemon were planted on the Roubidux pattern. Our vast experience in the production of oranges, the quality of the land and our people, allows us to think that in a short time we can produce the best lemons in the world.

Vision

We want to produce the fruit with the best flavor and color in the world, thus improving people’s quality of life through the consumption of healthy, nutritious and tasty fruits.

Mission

Use and promote the best quality, environmental, labor, transparency, and community relations standards to  produce the best fruit in and for the world.