The traditional dinner for exhibitors that takes place the night before Expoagro opens, brought together
national and provincial authorities, exhibitors, businessmen, managers of organizations in the sector and journalists this Monday at the Hotel Colonial de San Nicolás.
Martín Schvartzman, CEO of Exponenciar, gave the first opening speech, in which he highlighted the qualities that make the show "unique", due to the presence of more than 100,000 visitors every year and its 600 exhibitors, "who come
to show passion, imagination, innovation and effort”,
in a 150-hectare property, in the racetrack and open-air exhibition center in the Buenos Aires city of San Nicolás.
Given the varied presence of officials, politicians, businessmen and producers, Alberto Marina, director of Exponenciar -the company made up of Grupo Clarín and La Nación, which organizes Expoagro-, assured that "today we can say that in Expoagro there is no crack, and
that It is a value that we have built together”.
The presence of the Minister of the Interior,
Wado de Pedro,
with the Secretary of Agriculture,
Juan José Bahillo
;
the governor of Corrientes,
Gustavo Valdés
, and the mayor of San Nicolás,
Manuel Passaglia,
among others, were a sample of the varied presence of pro-government supporters and opponents of the national government, who met at the dinner with which the organizers of Expoagro honored the participants in the sample.
Minister De Pedro spoke,
"as an agricultural producer."
He said that "it is impossible for there to be roots without production and if the field is not doing well."
He said that he is the fourth generation of agricultural producers from Mercedes, province of Buenos Aires.
And that they have never seen a drought like this, where it is the first time "that 20% of what always comes out in the corn harvest comes out."
Wado de Pedro also recalled his trip to Israel, where they were leaders of different political forces.
And with the northern provinces "we have discussed the necessary works so that there is employment and establishment. And we are managing a 15-year financing for 850 structural works that have to do with the productive profile of each province, agreed between the private sector and the public sector. The leadership advanced one more step, there are many multi-party spaces, because it is much better to manage like this," he said in a conciliatory message, with an anti-grievance tone.
In this sense, he mentioned another trip, to which "10 Argentine provinces went, including the president of the UCR, the governor of Jujuy," said De Pedro, highlighting the inter-party agreements to get Argentina out of the crisis.
Drought Measures
The presence of the governor of Santa Fe, Omar Perotti, was expected, but the episodes of violence in Rosario would have prevented him from going to the Expoagro dinner.
Javier Rodriguez, Minister of Agrarian Development of the province of Buenos Aires, was concerned about the drought that affects agricultural production, but highlighted the Rural Roads Plan, which has already carried out 284 works throughout the province, and the strengthening of the Rural Police, among other initiatives of the Buenos Aires government.
Prior to the opening speeches, there was a cocktail in which political leaders from different parties, representatives of agricultural producers and businessmen participated,
who expressed their concern about the drought, which is causing a drop in agricultural production of 132 million tons. expected, to 88 million tons,
which represents about US$20 billion less in revenue.
Carlos Achetoni, president of the Argentine Agrarian Federation, pointed out that this is a very difficult year, because the drought and frost caused "a loss of 40 million tons of production, which represents more than 30% of the total."
For this reason, the Secretary of Agriculture, Bahillo, highlighted the measures that the government took to refinance the debts of agricultural producers, new lines of credit and specific programs that are "tools so that producers can continue working."
One of the leaders most in demand was Martín Llaryora, mayor of the city of Córdoba and candidate for governor of the province of the sector led by Juan Schiaretti, who insisted on the need to eliminate withholdings.
"Argentina is going to get ahead with more work and more investment," Llaryora told
Clarín
.
For her part, the president of Banco Nación and former Minister of Economy, Silvina Batakis, announced that the entity
is going to announce new lines of credit for the agricultural sector these days.
Daniel Funes de Rioja, president of the Argentine Industrial Union (UIA),
said he hopes that "the swap will serve to reassure" the economy.
And he said that the economists who speak with the UIA say that the end of Alberto Fernández's mandate can be reached with the debt in pesos and the lack of dollars.
Also present were the presidents of the Argentine Rural Society, Nicolás Pino;
from Argentine Rural Confederations, Jorge Chemes;
from Coninagro, Elbio Laucirica;
and the Bank of the Province of Buenos Aires, Juan Cuattromo, among others.