Uruguayan president Jose “Pepe” Mujica admitted Mercosur has its problems but it is also the market for Uruguayan exports with most added value: “to the rest of the world we sell mostly commodities, to Mercosur Uruguayan input”.
New Zealand Farming Systems Uruguay, listed in the NZ stock exchange, has sold 2,500 hectares of land on its Tobay farm in eastern Uruguay for 8.5 million US dollars in a move that will allow it to repay nearly half an outstanding debt to shareholder PGG Wrightson.
Increasing trade, bilateral and regional integration dominate Monday’s agenda for the meeting in Brasilia between President Lula da Silva and Uruguayan leader Jose Mujica.
Uruguay outperformed all other Latinamerican countries last year, according to the latest available data on 2009 economic growth. The data shows the Uruguayan economy expanded 2.9% in 2009, compared to 1.2% for Peru and 0.9% in Argentina.
Argentina’s renowned ballet dancer Julio Bocca has been named by Uruguayan president Jose Mujica as the new director of the official Sodre Performances and Dance Company.
Argentina has its Malbec; Chile has its Carmenere and now Uruguay, not to be out-classed by its more famous wine-producing neighbours, is taking the world of viticulture by storm, with its distinctive Tannat wines.
A clear majority of Uruguayans, 61% is optimistic about the future and believes that the government of President Jose Mujica will “be good or very good”, according to the latest Equipos Mori public opinion poll released this week.
Uruguay expects for this year a record export of grains and oilseeds, however prospects for the rest of the year are not too clear given abundant crops worldwide which will have an impact on prices.
Bolivia will gain access to Atlantic ports in Uruguay in exchange for a pledge of natural gas exports to Montevideo in an agreement signed in La Paz by presidents Evo Morales and José Mujica.
The European Commission (EC) has ruled that the controls carried out by Uruguayan sanitary authorities guarantee the “adequate standards” demanded by Community norms for imported seafood products.