The Integrated Territorial Program (PTI) for Table Grapes Atacama has formed an alliance with the Foundation for Agrarian Innovation (FIA) to promote collaboration for innovation in Chile's table grape industry.

One of the goals for PTI Uva Atacama from Corfo is to support farmers from the Atacama region by providing them with technptiical information to improve competitiveness.

The information will be based on identified gaps in the sector such as demand for new varieties, the high competition in export markets and the country's low water efficiency.

The agreement was signed with FIA's national director, Álvaro Eyzaguirre, the Minister of Agriculture Atacama and President of PTI, Patricio Araya and the director of Corfo Atacama, Pedro Maturana among others present.

Through the agreement, FIA will offer information on projects based on PTI requirements and share best practices and findings that will support the program.

For its part, PTI Uva Atacama will support the diffusion of FIA initiatives, facilitating and promoting the connection of FIA activities within its network, among other actions.

"When we began the process of modernizing the foundation, we set out to create the Networks and Alliance service precisely to enhance the requirements of each of our users from the regions," Eyzaguirre said.

"We are grateful that Atacama, a region with great opportunities for the sector, joins this challenge by developing innovation through connections and agreements that are necessary for the future."

Likewise, Araya said: "The world of PTI Uva Atacama has been marked by incorporating innovation in our agricultural practices in such a way as to improve the quality of our products and thus increase their competitiveness in foreign markets; now, after this milestone, we will have a strategic ally that will support us in the challenge of becoming better and better."

The signing of this agreement is an important achievement for the PTI Uva Atacama and the alliances that can be made with other entities can be very useful to improve the current conditions of the sector and identify opportunities to increase the productivity of table grape producers in the region, Maturana said.