MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine farm workers union warns conflict is not over

De Angelis will lead another rally, this time against land taxes

Argentine Rural and Stevedores' Workers Association secretary-general Gerónimo Venegas warned that, ”if the national government fails to implement a set of policies for the cattle and agricultural sector, next year the price of beef will climb up to 100 pesos (approximately 30 US dollars)”.

Referring to the unprecedented four-month long conflict between farmers and the Argentine government over the sliding exports duties for farm exports, Venegas said that, (in spite of Congress' rejection of the national government's bill due to the tie-breaking negative vote of vice-president Julio Cobos), "the problem is far from having been solved". Interviewed by a Buenos Aires broadcasting station he added that "such an important sector as farming for the Argentine economy cannot be overlooked. If the State fails to implement an (adequate) cattle and agricultural policy, next year the price of beef will reach 100 pesos" he underlined. Venegas pointed out that "price increase would eventually not be due to the rise of general goods, but rather because the country will be left out of beef. This is an alarming situation, it is simply impossible to understand that the world's best beef should be ranked fifth or sixth when it comes to foreign sales. It should, in fact, be on top of the ranking, because it's the best". Looking back on the recent speech by Argentine president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner's speech after the (temporary) end of the farmers-government conflict, Venegas blasted the head of State's statements that she regretted nothing about the actions implemented since she came to power. "Regretting nothing only shows that (the government thinks) farmers are on the wrong side. I believe this situation must be reverted and up for debate â€" the fact that Resolution 125 was revoked does not mean that the sliding scales exports duty conflict has been sold" continued Venegas, head of UATRE union and leader of the 62 Peronist Organizations. During the crippling four-month long between farmers and government, which resulted in roadblocks, transport and traffic chaos and meat shortage in the local market, Venegas adamantly refused to support the government in spite of the fact that CGT strongman Hugo Moyano, from the teamsters' union, was an active supporter of the national administration's sliding scales export bill. Spelling out his reasons for siding with protesting farmers, Venegas said that "the farm sector accounts for 33% of employment, 45% of the GDP, and 56% of Argentina's exports". "We have an enormous potential that's being wasted," Venegas warned, emphasizing that, at the moment, everyone's motto should be 'to produce, produce, and to keep on producing,' so as to get the country out of the doldrums. In related news, Entre Ríos province Agricultural Federation head Alfredo De Angeli â€" a key player in the controversial farmers-government relation â€" will on Wednesday front a demonstration against the Legislature, to protest the increase of the rural tax imposed on farmers. De Angeli said the demonstration will be staged at 11am, and that it was endorsed by the provincial Liaison Board, which represents the four main farmers' associations. The demonstration, FA secretary said, seeks the government's annulment of the decree authorizing the tax increase levied on the farming sector. The hike, in De Angelis' words, was something of a thuggish move (on the part of the government). Emphasizing his statement, De Angeli remarked that, "farmers have already been dealt a hard blow by the drought and the low profitability of cattle raising and milk production," and that producers, therefore, are unable to pay the tax increase. Last August 20, the government of Entre Ríos province decreed a tax increase of nearly 80% of the rural tax, approved by legislators and passed as Law No. 9853. (BAH).-