Argentina’s top agro-show opens with strong criticism of government farm policies
The head of the Argentine Rural Society (SRA) Hugo Biolcati blasted the national and provincial governments economic policies towards the agricultural sector during his opening remarks at the inauguration of the 126 annual edition of the entity’s exhibition held at La Rural pavilion in Palermo, Buenos Aires City.
This year’s edition of the traditional Palermo agro-show, Argentina’s most important, is convened under the motto “the future is now”. The twelve hectares grounds in Buenos Aires have a display of 500 stands plus 4.500 animals that will be disputing for the best cattle, sheep and horse prizes from the different breeds and categories.
Special events this year include a 3D documentary that enables visitors to tour camp activities and other farming activities such as poultry and the honey industry. Holders of android cellular phones or tablets will be able to unload free a GPS display of camp activities and for tablets the agenda with the chronogram and conferences during the two weeks long show.
Earlier, however the rural leader told the press that President Cristina Fernández was “welcomed” to attend the event. “If she came to La Rural, she would be applauded” adding that her participation in the event would be a “much appreciated gesture”.
He explained, nonetheless, that her absence could be seen as an act of contempt. “It would show a disdainful relationship between the sector and the national government,” he explained.
During his speech Biolcati demanded “clear rules and a predictable mid and long term horizon” for camp activities and complained bitterly about the “asphyxiating tax pressure” and recalled that the government confiscatory intervention in the sector “is in its sixth year”.
“It is clear to anybody rational that the resource soil and water is subsidizing the federal, provincial and local governments’ misbalances, For us camp people the future is now and we are asking those who have the destinies of the nation in their hands that they allow for the whole of Argentina that the future is today”, said the farmers’ leader.
During his remarks Biocalti also blasted the national administration for the current import curbs and dollar clamp which he said “clearly has confiscatory effects”.
“They have been discouraging the wheat harvesting for six years and now, thanks to the import curbs, they generate even broader hassles,” Biocalti complained.
The SRA head also enjoyed the opportunity to express the sector’s discomfort with the Buenos Aires province’s rural properties tax hike. “Those taxes add up to the already asphyxiating pressure the sector endures,” he said referring to the controversial provincial tax hike imposed by province of Buenos Aires Governor Daniel Scioli’s administration.
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You glorious 'Dear Leader' CFK should take heed of what the farmers are saying.
If they stop producing food, what are you going to eat? Your exports are food, this is where most of Argentina's income is obtained.
So you will have to chose between keeping the food to feed your own people, or sell it to earn funds for the country and risk your population starving. Not a good choice is it?
Maybe Argentina will get help from the World Food Programme. It's demeaning to have to rely on charity, but since your government has done nothing BUT embarrass Argentina on the international stage by lying, disrespecting international laws, BEGGING etc... you must be all getting immune to it by now.
How sad that a once proud people are reduced to grovelling to the likes of Venezula, Iran, Syria, Angola and China. Your South American neighbours are all having a good laugh at your expense.
“If they stop producing food, what are you going to eat? Your exports are food, this is where most of Argentina's income is obtained.”
Did I tell you to use your brain sometime is good for health?
If Agri-business (you know those called farmers producers & related) only contribute to 6.5% to ARG GDP.
And that would be a total of USD 30,87bn using IMF figures (GDP) and more of this is sold domestically how can be agri-b commodities exports “the most Argentina income obtained” as you said from exports over 90bn exports and may be more?
Another thing, you can produce food without having any agri-business because most food on these days are processed in factories so are industrial products.
Example:
Nestle is the largest food company in the world and also coffee seller.
Can you tell me how many coffee beans are planted in Switzerland?
None
So the big business is to buy Indonesian coffee beans for a little price and make a blend in factory and introduce it into a good packaging and sell to UK for example. Ha ha
So taxing crying farmers to promoted industrial business is a good idea.
And if they go to bankruptcy in the process who cares? you always can import commodities from Africa, Indonesia, etc.
Are you a true open market capitalist or not after all?
You're grip on economy is, as ever, very lax. If you go on taxing the farmer, he will give up farming. Así de simple.
At the moment the farmer is producing 25% of our exportable production, and providing at least 7% of all employment in the country.
So, Dany, you shut down the farmer through over taxing him and you increase the unemployment by 7% and decrease exports by 25%.
Put ver, very simply, Dany, you would be up Shit Creek without a paddle!!!!!
I find your comment highly insulting and you obviously know eff all about the agri-business. Doubtful you have ever worked in farming nor do you know the enormous sacrifices that are made in freezing cold or blistering heat. Also doubtful you have ever got your miserable arse onto a horse to work in the rain and cold. Before you open your blabbering mouth get your facts straight.
You are absolutely wrong the software industry will take over farming by 2015 employing more people and providing far more “add value”. Don requires incentives or subsidies, is high competitive, can compete even with 1=1 dollar, and is a clean industry.
Advanced countries make lithium batteries and not mining lithium. Do you get the idea?
Farming is the bottom of the worse of the economy pyramid has not add value, requires a lot of land, water, deforestation, contamination (glifosato N-fosfonometilglicina carcinogen agent)
So do you want an advanced country or a country full of brutish idiots like Alfredo de Angeli?
I don’t really understand you. You seem to be pro USA but you don’t want to implement the same measures that have made US the first economy in the world.
No advanced country in the world has farming as economy priority otherwise industries and services.
Poor countries have farming as a primary sector like in Africa and some Asian countries.
So I guess you have learn more and clarify your ideas because you contradict your self.
@ Tim
Yes more taxes, we are talking about economy I don’t care if you have to run 30 km to plant a potato.
Farming is the worse of the economy pyramid. All farming areas are the less developed in the world.
If I want you to impoverish some countries I will recommend them to dedicate only to farming.
So as I said to Simon what king of economy do you want to have?
Diversify, tech developed, very export oriented, free market, etc.
If so forget about farming is just for ignorant stupid dummies.
@ redpoll
Are you pro free market or pro poor potato planter?
It's more than obvious you don't know your arse from a hole in the ground. Argentina happens to be state of the art in farming and this is recognised world wide. This scum government keeps going thanks to us and they want to tax us out of existence. You obviously forget the years we have droughts/hurricanes/or floods and loose all our crops or we have to go scrambling to find other pastures for our cattle and we run at no profit. You don't know one damn about the business.
“A more cockeyed analysis I have never heard”
“It's more than obvious you don't know your arse from a hole in the ground”
“You don't know one damn about the business.”
Boys who don’t know anything about business are you.
Why don’t you use your brain instead of jumping to the cliff like crazy sheep?
People and all living things require air to live but having a factory or air at the moment is not a good business.
So doesn’t matter how much you think is important what you make for humans, in business otherwise is how much profit you will get from it.
And profit comes from adding value to something like in industrialisation and distribution chain process.
And here a simple example for dummies:
A litre of milk from dairy farm (basic producer Tambo in Spanish) cost average $1.50 in Argentina.
A more smart guy than you boys just by heating the milk to 85-90°C for some seconds and adding 45% of sugar. Plus packaging the product total cost around $10 (including milk, sugar, packaging and labour) is turned into a $45 product and in a supermarket for the pubic cost $56.07 (coto price).
The same logic is applicable into whatever the idiots planters/breed etc .
And what a farmer/breeder does in Argentina?
They buy 4x4 and apartments in Palermo, Las Cañitas, etc. to let them for 3000 pesos instead to invest this money in a little factory of milk, cheese, etc.
And even though this is not enough they have necons ideology and promote economic measures that the will produce concentration in their own sector and will destroy themselves.
Then they cry like babies.
Now do you understand why I think that they are complete ignorant idiots?
Or do you need more practical examples?
With reference to your “simple example.”
The “more smart guy” had to buy the milk from the “tambero”, so he still needs the farmer!!!!!!
Dany you are a “pelotudo.”
If you even bother to read carefully what I have been writing, you would understand the basic of globalisation.
So a “Usina Láctea” milk factory processor can import the milk from somewhere else like many countries do.
So instead to insult me I recommend you to investigate, and learn about what you are talking about, because you have not idea.
You talk about free market, liberals ideas, globalisation, etc. without even know how that works.
And my example is quite good and facts prove that.
Meanwhile “dairy farms” (Tambos) are closing down from Canada to Australia for profit problems who process the milk like “Danone” is becoming even more rich.
Use your brain and you will see who is the “pelotudo” as you say.
@ British_Kirchnerist
The problem with farmers is their ignorance and own stupidity the “pools” that invest in soy, etc. are leading for international speculators like George Soros.
The stupid farmers complain about the export tax intended for exporters but the 95% of the farmers complaining don’t export even a bean of soy.
Once I was talking with one who complained about the tax when I ask him to what countries he was exporting he told none????
Multinationals like Cargil charge them the tax to the stupid farmers and they like the cows go in line to the slaughterhouse.
They are against the only govt. (Cristina) that protects them to pay the technological feed that Monsanto requires in all countries. If wouldn’t be for Cristina they will be all broke like the farmers in US.
“Launching a lawsuit against the very company that is responsible for a farmer suicide every 30 minutes, 5 million farmers are now suing Monsanto for as much as 7.7 billion US dollars. The reason? , such as the ones that led certain farming regions to be known as the ‘suicide belt’, Monsanto has been reportedly taxing the farmers to financial shambles with ridiculous royalty charges...”
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