Argentina - Unrest Growing
Taxes on Argentine farm exports currently bring in around seven billion dollars a year for Argentina's cash-strapped government. The agriculture sector accounts for one third of national employment and two thirds of the foreign currency income. In short, the revenue the sector generates is a crutch that the government can't do without.
Argentine farmers are becoming increasingly agitated that the government are treating them as a "cash cow". Particularly after a year of drought cut 30 million of tonnes off grain and oilseed production and killed more than one million head of cattle, according to Eduardo Buzzi, the leader of the Argentine Farming Federation (FAA).
After meeting for four hours with Production Minister Débora Giorgi and Interior Minister Florencio Randazzo on Tuesday, the four main farm leaders told the press that results of their meeting were "scant".
Having thrown the farm leaders a sop of lower taxes on wheat and dairy products last week, the government this week offered concessions on honey and wool, steadfastly refusing to even discuss the main issue - the 35% tax on soybeans.
Farmers are also unhappy with the ONCAA (grain and livestock sales watchdog), which they say bogs them down with unnecessary red tape. Farmers complain that due to red tape they hardly get help the government promised them to mitigate the effects of the drought.
In Buenos Aires, the country’s richest province, farmers applying for state loans must sign an affidavit saying that they are not affected by the emergency. Otherwise, they say, they won’t qualify for credit.
Leaders are now calling on the grassroots to take to the roadsides Thursday to mark the first anniversary since they started an epic protest to press for their demands.
Hugo Biolcati, head of the Argentine Rural Society (SRA) said that the motto of today’s protest in the central Córdoba province will be "a year without responses".
The administration of President Cristina Fernández said that the protest and a main rally in the central Córdoba province "don’t contribute" to a solution.
Argentine farmers are becoming increasingly agitated that the government are treating them as a "cash cow". Particularly after a year of drought cut 30 million of tonnes off grain and oilseed production and killed more than one million head of cattle, according to Eduardo Buzzi, the leader of the Argentine Farming Federation (FAA).
After meeting for four hours with Production Minister Débora Giorgi and Interior Minister Florencio Randazzo on Tuesday, the four main farm leaders told the press that results of their meeting were "scant".
Having thrown the farm leaders a sop of lower taxes on wheat and dairy products last week, the government this week offered concessions on honey and wool, steadfastly refusing to even discuss the main issue - the 35% tax on soybeans.
Farmers are also unhappy with the ONCAA (grain and livestock sales watchdog), which they say bogs them down with unnecessary red tape. Farmers complain that due to red tape they hardly get help the government promised them to mitigate the effects of the drought.
In Buenos Aires, the country’s richest province, farmers applying for state loans must sign an affidavit saying that they are not affected by the emergency. Otherwise, they say, they won’t qualify for credit.
Leaders are now calling on the grassroots to take to the roadsides Thursday to mark the first anniversary since they started an epic protest to press for their demands.
Hugo Biolcati, head of the Argentine Rural Society (SRA) said that the motto of today’s protest in the central Córdoba province will be "a year without responses".
The administration of President Cristina Fernández said that the protest and a main rally in the central Córdoba province "don’t contribute" to a solution.