In Chile’s Curicó Valley, Agroindustrial Siracusa Builds an Olive Oil Success Story

See Also: Producer Profiles At the time in Chile, the olive oil trade was beginning to take root, with many new super-high-density olive groves being planted in hedgerows, centered around a large mill. The owners eventually settled on a piece of land in the Curicó Valley, approximately three hours south of Santiago. Planted 500 hectares of olive trees in 2007, followed by an additional 750 hectares in 2010. The first olive varieties the company planted were Arbequina and Arbosana, followed by Frantoio, Leccino and Coratina. “The Italian varieties did not do so well compared to the Spanish ones, so we had to take them out,” Juillerat told reporters, noting the impacts of the climatic conditions on their production as well as the practical limitations of not being able to perform a mechanical gathering.

Arbequina and Arbosana planted at super-high-density are Aura Olive Oil’s oldest and most dominant varieties. (Photo: Aura Olive Oil) “The two Spanish ones worked much better,” he added. Later on, the firm in addition planted Picual and Koroneiki, which contribute to its blends.

The business in addition aims to wrap up the harvest in the first weeks of June to avoid late autumn frosts, which can damage the olives. Result in defects in the oil. “That’s a challenge, but on the other hand, what we can get in this small window is a very good, premium olive oil,” Juillerat told reporters. Going to While the olives are still green at the start of the crop, Juillerat, the higher polyphenol contents and intense green fruity aromas and flavors more than make up for the low oil yields. He reckoned that at the start of the gathering, oil yields sit around 13 percent, rising to about 17 percent at the end of the crop.

The central location of the business’s mill allows olives to arrive within hours of harvesting. (Photo: Aura Olive Oil) Juillerat added that this puts the firm at a competitive disadvantage in terms of volume compared to the yields of 20 percent or more that producers in the north of the country receive at the end of June and into July, where wet weather and frost are not limiting factors to the same degree. While many producers in Chile, especially in the north of the country, have had to transaction with the impacts of dry spell. Water shortages in recent years, Juillerat told reporters these issues were less pressing in the south of the country.

Furthermore, one of the first investments Agroindustrial Siracusa made when it acquired the property was in water and irrigation infrastructure. The firm installed tubing to bring water from a nearby river to fill a series of reservoirs, ranging in size from five to 730 million liters.

Even though average precipitation has been normal for the past few years, Juillerat explained the firm has put money significantly in precision agriculture, installing sensors to measure soil humidity and a small conditions station to record temperature, humidity and precipitation. Juillerat as well highlighted how the accolades, including a Gold Award at the 2021 NYIOOC for its Aurora Premium blend, have went up the value of the firm’s sales in its largest export trade. Aura Olive Oil’s takings are almost evenly divided between exports and the domestic marketplace, with the firm selling its three brands through several retailers across the country and producing private-label olive oil. “We’re very balanced between exports, which are about 85 percent in bulk, and what we sell here in Chile, which is about 95 percent bottled,” he stated.

According to International Olive Council data, Chile has consumed an average of 7,666 metric tons of olive oil annually since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, when annual consumption momentarily spiked to 14,000 tons. Going to Since the pandemic, Juillerat, stubborn inflation has plagued the country and driven down consumer spending. “However, olive oil consumption didn’t fall as much as expected,” he explained. “We concluded that people are recognizing the benefits of olive oil and continue to consume it.” The nature of the country’s olive oil consumption has also changed.

Looking ahead to the 2026 harvest, Juillerat sounded the alarm that it is still too early in the season to make any predictions, but he is already seeing mixed indicators in the groves. “We’re already in the budding stage, and it looks varied. Arbequina has a greater flower supply, while Arbosana has a more varied appearance; there are areas with good budding and others with more downturn,” he told reporters. “Extreme summer temperatures and water availability are the main causes of the budding we’re seeing now.”