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The Chilean food processing industry is a highly developed and competitive sector, playing a crucial role in the national economy.

For marketing year (MY) 2025/26, Post estimates that the wheat area harvested will total 193,000 hectares (ha), representing a 1.0 percent decrease from MY 2024/25 due to high input costs and low prices.

For marketing year (MY) 2025/26, Post forecasts a slight increase in cotton imports due to increasing demand in the ready-made garments industry.

For marketing year (MY) 2025/26, Post forecasts lower rice imports than in MY 2024/25, assuming higher production based on favorable weather. Demand for wheat continues to increase and Post forecasts slightly higher imports for MY 2025/26 to align with demand.

The installation of Bangladesh’s Interim Government in August 2024, has led to a renewed focus on macroeconomic stability, which will enable increased exports to the market as restrictions on Letters of Credit ease as foreign currency reserves stabilize.

In February 2025, Ethiopia’s National Variety Release Committee (NVRC) approved the commercial release of three TELA maize hybrid varieties.

Beer is the most consumed alcoholic beverage in Chile and represents 77 percent of total sales of alcohol beverages by volume. Per capita consumption of beer has grown rapidly in the past 20 years Chile reaching 59 liters in 2022.

For the marketing year (MY) 2024/25, Post lowers rice harvested area and production to 11.4 million hectares and 36.6 million metric tons (MT), respectively, due to an estimated loss of around 300,000 hectares of aman season rice from two consecutive floods in August and October 2024.

Chile’s hotel, restaurant, and institutional (HRI) sector rebounded in 2023, with hotel occupancy reaching 51 percent and 9.1 million guests, driven by domestic tourism and normalized activities. Restaurants adapted to rising demand for healthier...

In marketing year (MY) 2024/25, due to the increase in area planted and assuming regular yields, Post estimates that lemon production will grow by 2.6 percent, reaching 197,000 metric tons (MT). Chilean lemon exports will increase 3.3 percent...

New labeling requirements for dairy products that may impact U.S. exports to Chile will come into effect on January 9, 2025.

In marketing year (MY) 2024/25, due to favorable climatic conditions, avocado production is expected to total 200,000 metric tons (MT), representing a 33.3 percent increase from MY 2023/24. The area planted will total 33,010 hectares, reflecting a one percent growth from MY 2023/24.