From the countryside they came out to strongly criticize the rumors that transcended this Thursday after the progress in the negotiations of the Government with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on a new dollar for corn, barley, sunflower and soybeans to speed up agricultural exports and a tax that makes certain imports more expensive.
"These types of measures expose the macroeconomic imbalances of our country," said Nicolás Pino, president of the Argentine Rural Society.
"If there is a new differential dollar, we will continue with patches that benefit some and hurt others. The measures have to be general and benefit the entire sector," added the rural leader.
The Government promoted three editions of the soybean dollar. The last one was from April 12 to May 31, and entered US $ 5,110 million for a total marketed of 8.6 million tons of beans.
"Beyond pretending a single exchange rate and low withholdings, a special dollar has created and will create distortions throughout the value chain," said the Argentine Soybean Chain (Acsoja), which opposed this special change for soy shipments since it was implemented.
The Secretary of Agriculture, Juan José Bahillo, had denied last week the possibility of a new soybean dollar after the delay in the commercialization of beans. So far, producers have sold just over 9 million tonnes, and retain almost 12 million tonnes of the 21 million tonnes of the lean harvest.
But on Wednesday, Sergio Massa, the economy minister, proposed advancing changes during the cabinet meeting and in the evening contacted the head of the body, Kristalina Georgieva, by zoom. The concern is to stop the fall in reserves and, in this way, unblock the talks with the staff and placate the exchange pressures.
One of the points that makes the most noise in the field is the possible corn dollar, an initiative that the Government had also denied at first because of the distortions it will have in the feeding of the different livestock.
"At first there was talk of a differential dollar for soybeans, now it is said that it is not included and that it would be about corn. This would make the food of the livestock, tambero, pork sector more expensive," said the president of the Argentine Agrarian Federation, Carlos Achetoni. "They are seeking, almost desperately, to generate foreign exchange income. As corn becomes more expensive, it will increase the costs of livestock and dairy farms, which come with delayed prices," he added in statements to Radio Continental.
Pedro Vigneau, president of the corn chain (Maizar), also warned of the problems that a higher exchange rate for the cereal will generate. "These issues come to complicate the panorama. The only thing that unpredictability and patches do is generate more uncertainty and that all actors in the corn ecosystem are on the defensive. There are starting to be problems between exports and consumption."
"Surely, there are ephemeral winners and losers, and for reasons beyond that. We are not going to tire of saying that they conspire against the enormous opportunity we have to add value to our production," he emphasized.
According to sources consulted by Clarín, the possibility of a new import tax slowed down the fertilizer market. Only punctual deliveries are being made and with a surcharge, precisely at a key moment of the wheat campaign and close to the planting of corn, two cereals that depend on this technology.
Criticism from a pre-candidate
The head of the Government of the City of Buenos Aires and pre-candidate for president also gave his opinion on the new dollar for agriculture. "They have been in government for 3 years and 8 months, why didn't they do it before? This government is the one that generates the instability that exists in the countryside, the one that generates 150% annual inflation, there is no sector that works. Like this. Predictability is needed, if there is one sector that needs predictability, it is the field. All investments are in the medium and long term," said during the opening of the traditional ribbon cutting that marked the inauguration of the 135th edition of the International Livestock, Agriculture and Industry Exhibition.
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