Technical Pre-Tour in Chile

Start your INC Congress journey with an unforgettable experience in Chile. Before gathering in Rio de Janeiro, join fellow delegates for the INC’s Technical Pre-Tour—an exclusive opportunity to explore production, processing, and innovation firsthand while building connections with industry peers. Open to all congress attendees, it’s the perfect way to kick off your congress experience.

Technical Pre-Tour

Program

Discover Chile’s nut and dried fruit industry through a series of exclusive visits to orchards, processing facilities and leading producers. From raisins and prunes to walnuts and hazelnuts, the program offers a firsthand look at the production processes, expertise and innovation behind these important crops. Along the way, enjoy opportunities to connect with fellow delegates, exchange perspectives and experience Chile’s agricultural landscape. Combining industry insights with the chance to build valuable relationships, the pre-tour offers a unique perspective on one of the world’s important nut and dried fruit producing countries before the INC Congress gets underway in Rio de Janeiro.

Running from May 1-4, 2027, the Pre-Tour program concludes just in time for participants to travel to Rio de Janeiro for the opening of the INC Congress the following day—making it the perfect way to kick off a week of industry insights, networking and unforgettable experiences.

May 1

Welcome dinner

Overnight at the DoubleTree Hilton in downtown Santiago

May 2

Morning: Visit to Frutexsa Raisins in Panquehue

Afternoon: Visit to Frutexsa prune factory and walnut orchards in Buin

Overnight at Hotel Monticello in San Francisco de Mostazal

May 3

Morning: Frutexsa walnut hulling and drying plant in Graneros

Afternoon: Visit to Agrichile hazelnut plant in Camarico

Overnight at Hotel Monticello in San Francisco de Mostazal 

May 4

Morning: Visit to La Invernada walnut factory in Paine

Afternoon flight to Rio de Janeiro

Chacha Food

HQ, VERTICAL AUTOMATIC EXPRESS WAREHOUSE, and FARM
Founded in 1995, Chacha is a leading Chinese nut snack manufacturer with more than 30-year legacy of quality. Generating over US$1 billion annually, it pioneered roasted sunflower seeds, selling over 2 billion units and leading the category for two decades. It has expanded its portfolio to include innovative offerings such as nuts, potato crackers, fruit juice jelly, and other snack foods. Chacha holds 317 patents, contributes to 49+ national standards, and leads in freshness technology, with products sold in 1 million Chinese outlets and over 50 countries. Its vertically integrated supply chain spans dedicated farms and 11 high-tech, BRC Class A factories with CNAS-certified labs. In 2017, it received China’s National Science & Technology Progress Award.

Three Squirrels

MANUFACTURING AND PROCESSING PLANT

Three Squirrels Inc., founded in 2012, is a leading agricultural industrialization enterprise and a publicly listed company (Stock code: 300783). It integrates food R&D, intelligent manufacturing, brand operations, and omni-channel sales. Serving over 170 million consumers globally, the company sources high-quality nuts from regions like Australia, Chile, and Vietnam, while promoting rural revitalization in China. It operates smart factories, collaborates with Fortune 500 firms, and drives sales through a short video–based omni-channel strategy.

With over 60 billion RMB in cumulative sales and strong 2024 growth, Three Squirrels aims to reach 20 billion RMB in revenue by expanding digital distribution, innovating its supply chain, and developing new consumer-focused brands.

Port of Hong Kong

PORT

The Port of Hong Kong is one of the busiest container ports in the world, handling about 13.7 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2024. The Kwai Tsing Container Terminals, with nine terminals operated by five private-sector companies, form the core of its operations, complemented by the River Trade Terminal, dozens of anchorages, mid-stream sites, and other cargo handling facilities.

Strategically located on major trade routes at the gateway to South China, the port connects to nearly 500 destinations worldwide through over 300 international container vessel sailings per week. Its natural deep-water harbor, dredged to around 17 meters, allows ultra-large vessels to access terminals at all tides.