MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Kirchner and farmers long distance dialogue

While Argentine farmers completed on Monday their third stoppage and protest day, the administration of president Nestor Kirchner launched a livestock program with the purpose of increasing the number of cattle and thus “harmonically” supplying “domestic and overseas” demand.

The much expected "More beef" program was announced by Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food Secretary Miguel Campos who described it as an "aggregate of interconnected measures directed to expand the beef supply as to in the shortest time possible, the domestic and foreign markets can be harmoniously supplied".

President Kirchner, Interior Minister Anibal Fernandez, Economy Minister Felisa Miceli and Federal Planning Secretary Julio De Vido were also present at the ceremony and not the slightest reference to the farmers' protests was mentioned.

The areas covered by the program include, credit, sanitation, genetics, reproduction, pasture and forage improvement as well as making the "commercialization process more transparent", all of which will demand an annual investment of an estimated 90 million US dollars.

According to the "More beef" program by 2010 Argentina should have 1.4 million more calves per year; the total herd of cattle should reach 62 million and the extraction index above 25% with an annual turnover of 15.7 million head of cattle.

Economy Minister Felisa Miceli praised the plan saying it was the first time a specific program for the livestock sector had been presented covering all the different stages "involving from cattle farming to the meat industry".

Without saying a word about the farmers' strike who are protesting about restrictions to beef, dairy and cereals exports which are cutting into earnings, Ms Miceli pointed out to some tax exemptions currently benefiting cattle breeding and underlined that "the average gross profit margin of camp activities is, in all cases, between 20 and 50% above the past decade".

Miceli finally highlighted that Argentine farmers are amongst "the most competitive in the world" and stressed that the "More beef" program was "open to modifications or initiatives" that will help improve it.

Meantime Argentine farmers on their third day of non supply of cattle, dairy produce and cereals to markets continued with their peaceful marches and protests, although in some provinces some of the main highways were blocked for several hours impeding traffic.

In some provinces and cities farmers' organizations formally requested elected authorities to support their demands.

Solid-Kirchner governors and mayors called for a "dialogue" but also cautioned they support the federal government's efforts to curtail inflation, precisely by pruning farm produce prices.

However Arturo Colombi, governor of the province of Corrientes which last summer was hit by an outbreak of foot and mouth disease said he openly supports farmers demands, particularly since they have been harmed twice: "by FAM and now the export restrictions".