Mecanización agrícola y fomento estatal en Chile (1942-1973)

Abstract

Faced with the lag in the agrarian sector, from the 1940s onwards, the state of Chile embarked on the task of promoting the mechanization of agrarian chores, creating a series of institutions to that end. After three decades, despite the significant expansion of the national productive apparatus, the government had failed to halt the deficit, meaning that the need to import large quantities of food remained. The article analyzes the impact of state policies of promoting mechanization, describing the evolution of the productive apparatus on a national and regional level, and, to this end, considering the context production and the conditions under which the incorporation of machinery took place. Finally, the article analyzes state participation on the basis of the case of the Mechanized Agricultural Equipment Service (Servicio de Equipos Agrícolas Mecanizados, seam), a body created specifically for this purpose.