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Headlines: Punta Arenas loosing to Ushuaia; Milk scare; Wine exports up; Ushuaia, Calafate and Puerto Madryn; Santiago airport and Lan Chile praises; The most obese in Chile.

Punta Arenas loosing to Ushuaia

Punta Arenas slogan is "access gate to Antarctica", that is has long disputed with Ushuaia in Argentina that preaches a similar condition. However even the Chileans admit they are loosing the cruise battle to Ushuaia since this season 190 are scheduled in the most southern city in the world against 61 in Punta Arenas. Geography, infrastructure, logistics have placed Ushuaia, next to the Beagle channel, ahead and as such is recognized by cruise operators who praise port facilities, privatized airport services, improved hotels and a clearly defined tourism oriented attitude. Punta Arenas "La Prensa Austral" points out that the local mooring conditions are unsatisfactory and on windy days cruise captains prefer to sail on. Besides Ushuaia now has four five star hotels, six four stars and four casinos. However there's even a more money-time-value practical reason. "Cruise vessels travelling to Antarctica need an extra two days when sailing from Punta Arenas, compared to Ushuaia. In a four, five months season this represents 15 lost days, plus all the additional fuel and pilot costs to navigate in the Magellan strait", explains Leonardo Castex, president of Punta Arenas Maritime Chamber. A round trip to Antarctica from Ushuaia takes a week, that is four trips in a months, compared to three from Punta Arenas, and in a full season five trips less, this boild down to possibly 400/500 visitors less. "The only way for Chile to compete with Ushuaia is boosting Puerto Williams that is just across the Beagle Channel, but that is a dream far from reality", writes La Prensa Austral. Punta Arenas port statistics indicate that while in 2001 mooring reached 2,071,000 metres-ship's length-men, compared to 1.746,000 in 2002, that is a 15% reduction.

Milk scare

Public Health Ministry officials in Magallanes Region have assured residents that the supply of milk is abundant in spite of the fact that several thousand litres of Cereal Extra Calcium, mainly for infants, had to be called back because of unsatisfactory conditions for human consumption. The alert actually started in Santiago where a complete lot of milk involving tens of thousands of litres of milk was found to have "biological anomalies" and nevertheless found its way through the distribution chain. Magallanes officials indicated that the only problems with the milk supply were limited to the Cereal Extra Calcium brand that is fed to toddlers between 18 months and five years. However maternities and children's wards were rapidly warned and the CEC was expediently replaced by similar quality milk from the Public Health Services emergency stock. Public Health officials anticipated that as long as the situation persists, all milk arriving in Punta Arenas from out of the region will be randomly tested. No Cereal Extra Calcium milk related cases have been reported in Punta Arenas.

Wine exports up

Chilean wine exports during 2002 reached 438,5 million litres valued 601 million US dollars, 12,1% and 1,53% above 2001 according to an official report from Viñas de Chile. Sales concentrated in United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Japan and Ireland with sales to Russia and China showing the highest increases 73 and 62 percent. By geographic areas, the European Union purchased 48,5%, followed by North America 29,9%, Latinamerica 11,1% and Asia 6,9%. Chilean wine production in 2002 reached 541 million litres and the vine area 100,000 hectares compared to 75,000 hectares a decade ago. The 2003 production is expected to increase 20%. Even with a relatively modest production at world level Chile figures with Argentina and Australia as the main southern hemisphere wine exporters.

Ushuaia, Calafate and Puerto Madryn

Varig Travel, a subsidiary of the main Brazilian flag carrier Varig that sells in Brazil travel packages to the main Argentine destinations, will begin the promotion of Patagonia and some of its outstanding locations such as Ushuaia, El Calafate next to the Andres and Puerto Madryn on the South Atlantic coast. Varig Travel currently works with Mendoza, Misiones, Cordoba, Salta, Santa Fe, Rio Negro and Neuquen. The new destinations will be offered in Vargi's 67 offices in 18 Brazilian states and will gradually extend to the 12,000 travel agencies existent in Brazil. The Argentine Patagonia promotion in Brazil will demand a 468,000 US dollars publicity campaign to be designed by Varig with costs shared with the government of the province of Chubut.

Santiago airport and Lan Chile praises

Santiago Airport Arturo Merino Benítez was chosen as the best of the region in 2002, following a poll by Latin Trade among its readers. Santiago was chosen given the quick and effective handling of luggage and accessibility to automatic cashiers. The magazine that specializes in trade relations between United States and Latinamerica also recognised as significant the available links from Santiago and its waiting facilities for passengers, mainly the Pablo Neruda lounge. Lan Chile was also chosen by Latin Trade readers as the airline with the best on board service of the region in 2002. The quality of food and wines were an outstanding point.

The most obese in Chile

Magallanes children and adults figure as the most overweight in Chile according to records from the local Heath Services. Data indicates that 38,1% of pre-school children in Magallanes have weight problems, with 25,1% overweight and 13,1% obese, says nutritionist Cecilia Castillo. According to the Pan-american Health Organization obesity is rapidly eclipsing hunger and malnutrition as one of the main public health problems. The world has now a billion people who are overweight and an additional 300 million obese. Apparently China is now leading since in less than a decade, (89/97) the number of overweight men doubled and the number of Chinese women tripled. Ms. Castillo recommends consuming healthy food, avoiding the excess of calories and fat plus regular physical activity. "Chileans suffer from sedentarism that affects 93% of women and 88% of men". Ms. Castillo recommends all Magallanes residents to visit local public medical clinics where they can check the appropriate Corporal Mass Index, a computerized program that helps to establish the person's healthy weight, his nutritional condition and calories demand.