Argentina

• Sunday, April 27th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina: Largest sunflower crop in six years, 4.52 m tons

  

  Argentina's sunflower crop was greater than forecasted totalling 4.52 million tons, the largest of the last six seasons, according to Buenos Aires Grain Exchange. The total area planted was 2.636.000 hectares, with an average yield of 1.720 kilos per hectare, which is 2.5% over last year's crop.

• Sunday, April 27th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentine gov. looks split over farmers' conflict

  

  The doves of the Argentine cabinet headed by vice president Julio Cobos called on farmers to give the new cabinet a chance and more time to discuss the issues which so far have stalled negotiations.

• Saturday, April 26th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Zero in Argentine geography: Malvinas are Falklands (GB)

  

  School text books distributed by an Argentine provincial government identify the Islas Malvinas as the “Falklands” with the GB for Great Britain next to the map. The error (blooper¿?) triggered a strong reaction from the local chapter of the Malvinas veterans and the provincial congress.

• Friday, April 25th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Two insights into the “new” and the “old” Argentina

  In early April, The Guardian published a piece by Latinamerican expert Richard Gott, on the new Argentina and its architects, as the title suggests.
  
  However, Argentine born Celia Szusterman and a political scientist from University of Westminster is not convinced with Mr. Gott's idea of a new Argentina and believes it's very much like the old Argentina.

• Friday, April 25th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentine Economy Minister Martin Lousteau Resigns

  

  Argentine Economy Minister Martin Lousteau resigned four months into President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner's administration amid disputes over farm policies and accelerating inflation in South America's second-largest economy

• Friday, April 25th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Frustrated Argentine farmers preparing for a second conflict

  With only a week left for the end of the month long truce, negotiations between Argentine farmers and government are virtually paralyzed, --and with growing animosity--, while rural organizations begun to review protest mechanisms, taking lessons from the three weeks strike, in the event of the resumption of the conflict as of May 2.

• Friday, April 25th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Incoming Argentine economy minister “thinks just like us”

  

  Argentina's incoming Economy Minister “thinks in the same terms as us” and will follow on “with government main guidelines”, said cabinet chief Alberto Fernandez who also confirmed that the controversial Secretary of Interior Trade, Guillermo Moreno remains in his post.

• Friday, April 25th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Kirchner inflation index for March 1%; Argentina's CPI 4.2%

  

  Two Argentine provinces, which are out of the Kirchners' political influence, have reported monthly inflation almost four times the official percentage, according to the latest releases from the Statistics and Census Office in Buenos Aires and its branches in Santa Fe and San Luis.

• Wednesday, April 23rd 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentine farmers frustrated with government tactics

  Argentine farmers and government officials couldn't reach an agreement Tuesday on wheat taxes triggering fears of a revival of the three week protests which caused food shortages and a major political challenge to the administration of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.

• Monday, April 21st 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Frustrated Argentine farmers ready to resume conflict May 2

  

  In a massive Sunday rally the Argentine farmers ratified their willingness to continue the round of talks with government, --in spite of some attitudes and unilateral decisions--, but also warned that time is running out and the agreed deadline is May 2.