News » 26.06.2026 - Chile's Los Lagos region kicks off lilium bulb inspection season
The Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG) of the Los Lagos Region has launched its phytosanitary inspection and certification season for Lilium bulbs. The process verifies compliance with the requirements set by destination countries and confirms the phytosanitary status of this plant propagation material, which is exported counter-season to a range of markets.
In 2025, SAG certified approximately 230,000 boxes of Lilium bulbs; for the current season, the projection is close to 250,000 boxes. The main export destinations are the Netherlands, the United States, Japan, Taiwan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, China, Vietnam, Colombia, Uruguay, and Costa Rica, with Brazil joining the list this year as a new market for the product.
At the national level, the Los Lagos Region is one of Chile's leading production zones for export Lilium bulbs. Favorable climatic conditions, geographical isolation, and the territory's high phytosanitary status have enabled the development of a sector specializing in the production of plant propagation material for demanding international markets.
Within the Los Lagos Region, plantings are located in the municipalities of Puerto Octay and Puyehue, where export companies produce bulbs that are subsequently sold in markets across Europe, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas. The leading operations are Bulbos de Los Andes and Agrícola Mantos Verdes Ltda., which together planted a combined area of 115 hectares across the Los Lagos and Los Ríos regions during 2025, destined for export in the current season.
Francisco Briones, Regional Director of SAG Los Lagos, stated that "Lilium bulb production is a highly specialized activity that demands very high phytosanitary standards. As a service, we accompany the entire production process, from planting through to dispatch of the product to the port of shipment, carrying out inspections and analyses that verify compliance with the requirements of each destination country."
Phytosanitary requirements are defined by the authorities of importing countries, so SAG must verify, through inspections and laboratory analyses, the absence of the pests that each market designates as quarantine-significant. These include viruses, nematodes, mites, and fungi. Inspections are carried out both during the active growth of the plants and on harvested bulbs prior to export.
"In this regard, SAG's work begins even before planting. During crop establishment and development, virus inspections are conducted along with soil and bulb sampling to rule out the presence of mites and nematodes, as well as collection of mother bulbs to detect any viral infections in the parental material. Subsequently, between June and September, the bulbs are harvested, processed, and inspected before being shipped to the various markets," Briones added.
Francisco Cárcamo, Regional Secretary of Agriculture for Los Lagos, highlighted that "the start of a new Lilium bulb certification season confirms the Los Lagos Region's capacity to produce to high standards and compete in demanding international markets. Brazil's incorporation as a new commercial destination reflects confidence in the quality of our products and in the phytosanitary work carried out by SAG. This joint effort between growers, exporters, and public services allows us to continue driving exports, creating opportunities in the territories, and consolidating a competitive agricultural sector that contributes to the development of the region and the country."
Source: www.sag.gob.cl
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