Struck by an atrocious drought and without concrete answers, the countryside returns to protest on the road

On the morning of Tuesday, February 28, in the south of Santa Fe, rural producers from different parts of the country will meet in an assembly to demand urgent changes in the policies directed at the agricultural sector that today suffers the consequences of the worst drought in more than sixty years.

The central act of the meeting will take place at 10 am at the intersection of the Rosario-Buenos Aires Highway and Route 90, near the city of Villa Constitución, as a protest against the lack of responses from the national government to the inclement weather that has caused serious and irreversible damage to crops, pastures and herds.

The producers ask for

and frost, but, in addition, they will reiterate basic claims such as the modification of the export rights of agricultural products, the elimination of the exchange gap, a tax reform and the implementation of multi-risk insurance.

The call was made by the Argentine Agrarian Federation

(FAA) but later other entities such as the Argentine Rural Confederations (CRA), Coninagro, the Argentine Rural Society (SRA) and self-convened groups such as the Argentine Association of Agricultural Producers (AAPA), Grupo Independencia and Country+City.

"We are far from seeing a proposal to support the sector in its state of emergency and that they

. For this reason and because we are tired of hearing announcements that are not executed, promises that are not fulfilled, patches that do not solve the problem, is that we decided to mobilize," the FAA said.

"As an entity we have participated in each of the dialogue and work spaces; we have brought all the needs to the table of officials, legislators and decision-makers, as well as the proposals and alternatives to solve them. In all cases we listen to empty announcements, without concrete solutions. Today we have the disappearance of 5,000 producers per year, while those who govern only decide to collect money for the IMF or the elections, negotiate with a few concentrated groups and continue buying time," the entity stated.

Among other points, they will request the suspension of embargoes, the exemption from the payment of income tax and its advances, the suspension of the blocking of accounts and the pressures of the banks, the modification of the emergency law, the creation of an insurance multi-risk, a comprehensive and progressive tax reform.

Likewise, ask for historical reparation for the regional economies and a comprehensive livestock plan, the elimination of the exchange differential, a plan to eliminate withholdings and that the aid committed in the form of Non-Refundable Contributions for producers be specified.

"

, but clearly we do not have the answers that the productive sector is needing. It is a sterile dialogue because it does not lead to any specification of tools, even in the situation," said the president of the FAA, Carlos Achetoni.

For his part, Nicolás Pino, head of the SRA, expressed: "The situation is becoming increasingly critical and the national, provincial and municipal governments have to provide answers to each claim and certain solutions to resolve this crisis. We need not only measures for the situation but also fundamental changes such as the elimination of withholdings and the different exchange rates".

From AAPA they urged the entire sector to accompany the call.

"We make our own and defend the following claims: unified exchange rate, elimination of export duties, updating of tax bases for income tax, repeal of personal property tax, new labor law and reduction of public spending, among other points to discuss", indicated the producers of the entity.

According to Achetoni, after the protest "

, although he ruled out for the moment the option of a strike.

After three years of drought and in the worst campaign in decades, producers warn that "responses are slow and insufficient" and demand "extraordinary and urgent responses."

A few days ago, the Minister of Economy,

, when announcing the measures against bird flu, had stated: “I want to leave a message to the producers and to our very important productive chain.

We have to face one of the worst droughts in the last 100 years, with also low soil moisture already accumulated in the last three years.

We also have to face a particularity, such as the 7 de oro, product of the drought and that affects many animals, we have to face a drop in weight in slaughter animals, we have to face the possibility of shielding ourselves against the case of cows crazy that began to appear in Brazil, in addition to facing bird flu.

We are faced with extraordinary conditions at a particular moment in which the world needs Argentine proteins and we have enormous opportunities to grow by supplying the domestic market”.

However, specifically, the announced answers and the solutions for the producers do not arrive, and the discontent overflowed the glass.

The situation is critical, they can no longer wait, for this reason, the rural protest returns to the roads.