MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Conflict still on, until resolution 125 is revoked by Executive

Argentine farm organizations called Thursday on President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner to revoke the controversial sliding grain and oilseeds export tax, resolution 125, as the government had promised if the bill was repealed by Congress.

Given this situation, "the conflict stands, has not been solved" and recommends farmers not to trade grains or oilseeds until the resolution is repealed by the Executive. The Liaison Table, which coordinates the four main farmers' organizations behind the huge lobbying operation, also praised the "very difficult" decision undertaken by vice president Julio Cobos who was forced to break the tie in the Senate by casting his vote against the government sponsored bill. The four organizations also called on the government to convene a Federal Agriculture Council, which includes provincial governors and farmers, to discuss and draft a set of policies to help farmers address problems of the different sectors: beef, dairy, wheat, corn, regional productions. "Argentina has the potential to increase production and we must do it, the world is waiting for us". The Liaison table included these requests in an open release titled "The Republic has emerged stronger". However Mario Llambías one of the four farmers' leaders revealed that earlier in the day he had talked with vice president Cobos to praise his dignity and fortitude in the historic circumstances he had to face, but found him "extremely concerned", although he did not giver further details. "It was a most difficult decision at a crucial moment and he chose pacification", underlined Luciano Miguens another of the farmers' leaders who described the rejection by the Senate of the controversial bill as "a significant success; we managed to tie in one of the Houses the government was expecting to roll over us". The Argentine upper house has 72 seats and the vote was tied in 36 with Cobos casting the decisive vote. However the ruling coalition of the Kirchners, numerically, has 48 Senators. Miguens said it was time farmers got more involved in politics since "the camp needs to have representatives in Parliament, in political parties and have a more fluid access to the institutional workings" Finally Llambiías and Eduardo Buzzi, the most combative of the four farm leaders recalled that resolution 125 remains un-revoked, which means the "conflict stands, has not been solved".