The Tomato Festival featured stands from producers, artisans, and entrepreneurs, becoming a great meeting place for all the communities in the region. It also provided an opportunity to boost the local economy and tourism.
The event, organized by the Atacameña Community of Camar and supported by the Municipality of San Pedro de Atacama, its Culture Foundation, SQM Litio, Escondida BHP, and Minera Zaldívar, lasted all day, providing an ideal opportunity to recognize the importance and vital contribution of women to agriculture and other areas of the country in the celebration of their international day.
The Tomato Festival in Camar brings together artisans and farmers
Camar, Chile – March 10, 2025.- More than 2.500 people gathered at different times of the day in the town of Camar to enjoy the fourth edition of the Tomato Festival, a festival that celebrates the culture, history, and the emblematic product of the Atacameño community. This event has established itself as one of the most important celebrations on the local calendar, attracting visitors from throughout the region to join the more than 30 families that make up the community.
During the traditional festival, held in the heart of the Atacama Desert at nearly 2.400 meters above sea level, attendees enjoyed stands featuring local producers, artisans, and entrepreneurs, promoting agriculture, the economy, and local tourism, with artisans and farmers from Socaire and San Pedro de Atacama standing out.
“We want our people to have the opportunity to showcase their wealth and traditions, and all the products we produce with great effort and dedication in such an arid desert. One of our people's greatest challenges is water resources, but it's not an obstacle to farming and agriculture. Our grandparents and ancestors left us techniques to take advantage of them, and we put them into practice every day,” explained Héctor Cruz, president of the Camar Community.
Symbol of effort and tradition in Camar
This was the town's most important event of the year, which not only celebrated local agriculture but also commemorated International Women's Day, highlighting their vital contributions to agriculture and other areas of the region, which are fundamental to the development of the town.
The Camar tomato is recognized for being grown 100% naturally and for its very unique characteristics, "it is very different, juicier, with a thin skin, and can be eaten in salad or as a fruit. For us, it has been a huge effort to prepare to have this product that gives its name to this traditional and customary festival of Camar," highlighted Silvia Cruz, president of the Farmers and Ranchers Committee.
Another need in the area is the marketing of products and reaching new markets, given the lack of visibility due to their distance from large cities. "Public-private partnerships must be increasingly active in promoting this activity, which is why tools have been provided by Corfo, Sercotec, and Sernatur to make all their plans and programs available to communities. Through these tools, tourist products and sites can become increasingly well-known," explained Matías Muñoz, Regional Secretary of Economy, Development, and Tourism for the Antofagasta region.
SQM Litio strengthens its commitment to the Atacama community
For those who make up the Camar community, SQM Litio has become over time one of its main strategic partners, through support and joint construction of spaces and initiatives that promote the growth of the area and the maintenance of its traditions. The company's mission is to be present daily in the territory, to actively support the traditions and practices that its inhabitants have developed for centuries, and to become the vehicle that mobilizes greater growth and development.
“Initiatives like this festival are born in the community and are an example of the work we do to enhance local identity and its creations. There is an ongoing process of dialogue and co-construction to ensure long-term development around education, health, culture, heritage, and sports. That's why this celebration, which also brings together thousands of people from other communities in Alto El Loa, is an opportunity to unite and get to know each other through lasting initiatives,” explained María Alejandra Zuleta, Assistant Manager of Community Affairs at SQM Litio Salar Atacama.
A traditional festival that celebrates the Atacameño identity
Similarly, Leonardo González, general manager of Zaldívar Mining, a company that also maintains a significant presence in the area, emphasized: “We are very pleased to participate for the third consecutive year in such a symbolic event, so important for the community, but also for the region. It is a cultural and traditional celebration that preserves the heritage of this town. Within this, there is a transfer of tradition.”
For the mayor of San Pedro de Atacama, Justo Zuleta, "it's an event that has been established over time. We're very happy that the Camar community can maintain this tradition, with such a distinctive element as the tomato, and that so many people can learn about it."
Music as an ingredient
Music also took center stage, with entertainment provided by singer María Jimena Pereyra and Pedro Concha, the renowned host and conductor of the Community School. The event also featured outstanding performances by Joe Vasconcellos, the group Zúmbale Primo, and the local energy of Kusillasta, who got the audience dancing against the majestic desert landscape. “This is my second time here, and each year I'm more surprised. There's more production, so the local people are really showing off. I came with my daughters and their friends from San Pedro de Atacama,” commented Natacha Montory, a local singer and songwriter.
The support of the local community and other nearby towns such as Talabre, Peine, Socaire, San Pedro, and Toconao was crucial to the success of the event, especially for the merchants. This is how María Tejerina, one of the producers, expressed it: “My event today was successful. It was worth getting up early, getting up early, and bringing my products, because it was an excellent sale, better than last year.”
The Tomato Festival was organized by the Atacameña Community of Camar, with the support of the San Pedro de Atacama Culture Foundation, the Municipality of San Pedro de Atacama, SQM Lithium, Hidden BHP y Zaldívar MiningIt is hoped that a meeting like this will be held again next year.
We invite you to learn more about these initiatives and how they contribute to local development in our section. Community.
