Chile's Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG) has announced the launch of a free application for cell phones, which is able to quickly detect agricultural and forest pests.

The platform will allow users to send a photo, video or audio of the plague that is affecting the crops, so that SAG specialists can analyze said information, respond to the request and, if necessary, take appropriate measures to control it.

Horacio Bórquez, National Director of SAG told PortalFrutícola.com that this application responds to the permanent surveillance performed by the service for both Chilean and foreign pests.

"We all have to take care of Chile, we all have to take care of our exports and our phytosanitary patrimony," said Bórquez.

"The information we receive will be part of the vigilance that the country has.

"And if there is a plague that is in quarantine, we can be in the place where it occurred no later than 72 hours, which allows us to make a quick attempt to isolate, diagnose and control the plague," he explained.

He also said that the creation of the platform responds to other factors that could have an impact on crops.

These include the number of people who enter the country annually as well as climate changes.

"The truth is that we have to be much more alert than we were a few years ago," Bórquez added.

The application, called "SAG Phytosanitary Reports" is available free of charge for devices with an Android operating system.

It will allow users to enter complaints even without an internet connection, so that when the device can connect to a mobile network or Wifi it will be sent automatically.

Meanwhile, this system seeks to modernize and facilitate the procedures under which a complaint or phytosanitary alert is made, encouraging citizens to participate in the care of agriculture pests or diseases.