Chile
With operations spanning Coquimbo, Valparaíso and O’Higgins, the company combines climate diversity, harvest windows and technology to ensure consistent supply.
Managing more than 2,700 hectares of avocado orchards across different regions of Chile involves much more than coordinating agricultural work. Each farm has different climate, soil, water availability and production conditions, so planning must consider multiple variables to deliver a consistent supply for much of the year.
This is precisely the model Baika has developed in its farming operations. Rather than managing each property independently, the company follows an integrated strategy that uses geographic diversity to spread risk, coordinate harvest windows and ensure more continuous supply.
“We plan production by viewing the operation as an integrated system rather than isolated farms. Geographic diversity allows us to spread risk, coordinate harvest windows and supply fruit more continuously throughout the season”
Each farm plays a distinct role in the portfolio
Baika's production strategy relies on farms with complementary agronomic characteristics: Pintacura and San Ignacio provide volume and consistency thanks to their location in Chile's traditional avocado-growing areas, while Valle Leyda brings coastal influence, creating different temperature and fruit-development conditions that diversify seasonal supply. Alicura and Ucuquer are also key pillars of the operation. Together they cover more than 1,100 hectares of avocado orchards and, thanks to their soil conditions and production performance, support a reliable supply of fruit between July and December.
“Each farm has a different role in the production strategy. Differences in climate, water availability, soil type, exposure and altitude allow us to build a more diversified supply throughout the season”
Preparing for peak harvest and coordinating logistics
Partially overlapping harvest windows require planning that begins several months before fieldwork starts.
Production estimates consider critical variables such as flowering, crop load, water status, historical performance, expected fruit sizes and weather patterns. This strategic information is constantly updated through field monitoring and dry matter analysis, allowing harvest schedules to be adjusted as each orchard develops.
When different farms' harvest periods coincide, the company prioritizes fruit condition, commercial opportunities and agronomic risks to determine the order of operations.
“The challenge is to reach the peak with crews, transport, machinery and all operational capacity already aligned”
Labor as a strategic factor and a driver of retention
During the busiest period, Baika deploys between 550 and 600 harvesters across its farming operations. Beyond workforce numbers, however, a key challenge is maintaining stable teams as the availability of skilled labor becomes increasingly limited.
To address this, the company has strengthened its work with contractors, seeking to offer continuous employment throughout all twelve months of the year through the production of different fruit crops and ongoing agricultural management activities.
Technology for better real-time decisions
The diversity of growing regions has also driven increasingly intensive use of technology. Baika currently integrates information from advanced climate sensors, automated irrigation and nutrition monitoring, and measurements of tree growth and production variables.
All this data is centralized in a platform developed in-house over the past four years. The aim is not simply to collect data, but to turn it into useful information for timely decisions based on objective evidence.
Continued growth ahead
Baika currently has 2,720 hectares of avocado orchards in Chile, although only around 52% have reached their full production potential. The growth recorded reflects a combination of new plantings, young orchards entering production, greater water availability and improvements in agronomic management.
However, Jaime Guarda cautions that growth must be accompanied by increasingly efficient management to address challenges such as climate variability, staffing availability and the need to maintain high quality standards.