ProducePay’s Fresh Produce Focus Roundtables Unite Industry Leaders in Peru and Chile
Bringing together top agri-export executives in Lima and Santiago, the event fostered high-level discussions on financing, legal certainty, and competitiveness across Latin America’s fresh produce sector.
In November 2025, ProducePay successfully hosted the first Fresh Focus Roundtable event. Held in Lima, Peru (November 4th), and Santiago, Chile (November 6th), this event was organized in partnership with Araya & Cía Abogados, and brought together C-suite executives, industry leaders, and experts from across Latin America to discuss the future of regional agri-exports.
Designed as intimate, high-value discussions, the event aimed to foster collaboration, transparency, and innovation in a market facing increasing global challenges.
Through engaging panels and expert-led conversations, the Fresh Focus Roundtables served as platforms to explore how financial, legal, and technological strategies can strengthen the competitiveness and resilience of Latin America’s fresh produce exports.
Roundtable in Peru
The first roundtable took place in Lima, Peru. The discussions centered on how financial access and legal stability can serve as the foundation for long-term growth and global competitiveness within Peru’s agricultural export industry.
Participants explored the role of agricultural financing as a key driver of expansion, analyzing how financial institutions are adapting to the sector’s seasonal nature and export-oriented dynamics. The conversation also highlighted the importance of legal certainty in fostering investor confidence, investment security as essential components for sustained development, and the need for exporters to adjust to the increasingly strict buyer requirements in global markets, including ESG compliance standards.
The panel featured figures such as Ángel Manero Campos, Former Minister of Agrarian Development and Irrigation of Peru; Alfredo Lira Chirif, Executive Director and Founder of AgroLeal; and Fernando Cillóniz, Former Governor of Ica.
Representatives from companies like Inkas Berries, Agrobarr, Asica Farms, Añay Produce, Agrícola Chapi, Agroleal, Del Sol Fresh, Corteva, and Cold Chain SAC also participated.
Roundtable in Chile
Two days later, the Fresh Focus Roundtable continued in Santiago, Chile, where the discussion centered on how Chile can sustain its global standing amid growing market saturation and evolving buyer expectations.
Experts examined how shifts in the U.S. market are reshaping pricing dynamics and export strategies. The conversation also delved into Chile’s long-term competitive advantages over neighboring countries like Peru and Colombia in key commodities such as blueberries and grapes, highlighting the strategic importance of innovation and efficiency.
Panelists further explored the financial and logistical challenges associated with varietal renewal, particularly the significant capital investments required to replace traditional varieties with more competitive ones, and the adoption of new technologies and artificial intelligence tools to help exporters strengthen logistical resilience, monitor shipments in real time, and reduce rejection risks.
Among the featured speakers was Manuel Alcaíno, Founder and President of Decofrut, a leading authority on Southern Hemisphere fruit market intelligence.
The Impact of the Fresh Focus Roundtables
The Fresh Focus Roundtables is the result of ProducePay’s commitment to building collaboration across the fresh produce industry. This event fosters high-value dialogue among top decision-makers, allowing participants to share practical strategies to adapt to market volatility, ensure financial resilience, and strengthen international competitiveness.