MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Cordoba and Santa Fe provinces support farmers' claims

Argentine striking farmers confirmed on Monday a powerful supporter in their conflict with the President Kirchner administrations over the grains and oil seeds export taxes controversy.

Juan Schiaretti the governor of the province of Cordoba, one of the country's richest, called on the federal government to lower the tax system and also requested that farmers put an end to their protest mobilization. Farmers' representatives and governor Schiaretti, who belongs to the ruling party in Argentina, met for over an hour on Monday. Farmers described the meeting as "productive" and said the governor "ratified" his position regarding the export levies sliding system. "He told us that the issue of the export levies must be reviewed and a way to lower it to ensure the profitability of the farming sector must be found. We believe the camp has confirmed a very strong supporter in governor Schiaretti", said Fernando Gioino, head of Coninagro one of the farmers' organizations. In a release following the meeting governor Schiaretti, who has repeatedly proclaimed his support for President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, said that farmers and the federal government must return to the round of negotiations. He also asked farmers to definitively lift the protest strike next Thursday and revealed that "on the same Monday", he had requested authorities in Buenos Aires to modify the export levies system, originally announced March 11 and which triggered the ongoing conflict. Schiaretti as well as other governors and provincial elected officials and members of Congress are feeling the pressure from voters who elected them just six months ago. Cordoba in particular has a strong thriving manufacturing sector, linked to agriculture equipment as well as a significant farming sector. Farmers next Thursday will be meeting with Santa Fe governor Hermes Binner, who belongs to the opposition Socialist party. He strongly supports farmers and has repeatedly asked for dialogue resumption and a review of the farm export taxing system. Other Argentine governors and members of Congress are known to support the farmers' position but so far only Schiaretti and Binner have done so openly. But on Monday also, Buenos Aires province governor, Daniel Scioli, who was scheduled to meet farmers, at last moment alleging that they had anticipated his support, had the delegation meet with his cabinet chief and ministers of Economy and Agriculture following the formal structure of the dialogue round with the central government in Buenos Aires city. Mr. Scioli, former vicepresident has a strong reputation but no personal political backing, and depends entirely on the Kirchner's. Buenos Aires province in the heartland of Argentina's fertile pampas and efficient agriculture but is also home in the suburban areas of the power base of the hegemonic Justicialista party, currently, --since 2003--, under the Kirchners.