The Central Market, according to some merchants who operate within the property, is currently
the scene of internal political disputes that are affecting the normal operation of the commercialization of fruits and vegetables.
The excuse is the way in which the prices of the merchandise that climbed with inflation are handled.
This situation has been generating "a climate of destabilization" that led to
an intervention in the management
of the president of the fruit and vegetable market, Nahuel Levaggi, due to
counterpoints that he had with the Secretary of Commerce, Matías Tombolini.
The Central Market is a tripartite entity.
In its leadership there is a representative for the Province of Buenos Aires, another for the City of Buenos Aires and another for the Nation.
Levaggi has been president since March 2020, for the province.
Aníbal Jesús Stella holds the position of vice president representing the national State, and Ezequiel Capelli has the position of director, for the Buenos Aires Government.
Levaggi's appointment was part of
an agreement between Kirchnerism and ruralistas
who postulate an agenda linked to "family, native, peasant and agroecological agriculture."
However, according to a Market operator who preferred to remain anonymous,
this project could not be applied
because Levaggi arrived at the beginning of the quarantine.
“A large part of his management and alliance was concentrated in the
sectors that Kirchnerism always privileged
,” he indicated.
Central Market in conflict
According to the same source,
"this management always had a conflict with the operators
, with the producing sectors, but it was based on a series of alliances with import sectors and some other large companies in the Central Market."
The management suffered difficulties and conflicts, the occasional
big vegetable
, the inauguration of a shed for small farmers.
But this year
the conflict erupted amid inflation
.
There is talk of
very virulent meetings between Levaggi and Matias Tombolini,
the Secretary of Commerce.
Apparently,
Tombolini blames Levaggi for the rise in fruit and vegetable prices that has occurred in the domestic market
in recent times, and that the national government tries to contain through the "Fair Prices" program, which in turn is questioned in the sector.
Protest and picket in front of the Administrative Center of the Central Market last Monday.
Photo Maxi Failla
The source that revealed the insider added: “Markets are not supposed to set prices, any market that is concerned about influencing prices is being contradictory because it responds to the law of supply and demand.
In fruit and vegetable matters, prices rise and fall are frequent.
And the consumer responds by stopping buying.
But here it is intended that the president of the Central Market control prices ”, he pointed out.
The escalation of the conflict led to a kind of
intervention by the Levaggi management by the general manager of the Market, Jonatan Ambrosio, who answers to La Cámpora.
"It is not known what his knowledge of fruit and vegetable growing is," according to the operators.
This version is in line with a statement issued a few days ago by the Chamber of Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable Operators (COMaFru), in which Levaggi's management was described as "
the worst in history."
While general inflation, as of February 2023, was 103.1%, the rise in fruit reached 150.5% and vegetables, tubers and legumes averaged an increase of 81.9%, according to INDEC.
NE
