Our History

In 1989, Gamaliel Zapata together with his partner and friend Rolando Vallette acquired 11 rustic hives near the city of Temuco, in southern Chile. Without formal knowledge in the field, but guided by deep curiosity, they set out to work them in search of precious honey. What began as a simple hobby soon turned into a passion and a venture that gradually professionalized. Over time, this dedication gave life to their first initiative, which they named: "Apícola Pilmaiquén".

In their constant search for learning, they initially attended beekeeping fairs in Argentina to modernize processes and professionalize. Later, that pursuit of excellence led them to attend international congresses and events in Australia, Ireland, Spain, Finland, and Germany, absorbing the world's best practices.

In 2018, consolidating this journey of effort and learning, Gamaliel Zapata and his family established "Apícola Pumalal." During the pandemic, the strategic location of their apiaries in various rural environments of La Araucanía allowed them to ensure uninterrupted hive care and guarantee crop pollination and honey production during those challenging times for the country.

Since then and to date, "Apícola Pumalal" has experienced significant evolution and growth. Not only did they maintain their traditional agricultural pollination services and the extraction of honey, pollen, beeswax, and propolis, but they also diversified their offering. They incorporated technical consulting and specialized training, actively sharing over 35 years of experience with new generations of beekeepers in the region. Today, the brand combines family tradition, apicultural science, and a firm commitment to the sustainability of this sector in the south of the country.