The Minister of Security, Patricia Bullrich, announced the relaunch of the “Safe Harvest” program, at Expoagro 2024.
The program aims
to combat illegal trafficking and improve living conditions in the areas surrounding the port region
, as well as the safety of workers in the agricultural sector and transporters involved in the transfer of grain.
“Many thanks to Expoagro for allowing us to make this very important presentation for the Argentine countryside and all the provinces that bring 80% of our country's harvest to the San Lorenzo-Timbúes port complex and all the terminals we have in that area.
Of course, we will also work in the province of Buenos Aires accompanying the other ports that carry the other part of the production, such as Quequén,” he stated.
Patricia Bullrich.
Photo: JUAN JOSE GARCÍA.
In this context, previously the provinces of Santa Fe, Córdoba, Entre Ríos, Corrientes, Chaco and Santiago del Estero laid the foundations for the operation, an interprovincial collaboration to regulate truck traffic and jointly address this logistical challenge.
”We already know 'Safe Harvest' and
it has given us excellent results.
We have experience in how to implement it and we know it works.
Because it is the result of firm measures carried out by the federal forces and the provincial police together,” he stated.
As he explained, at the time,
crimes in port areas were reduced by more than 80%.
“We went after the mafia unions that harmed the producers.
Unfortunately, this project was frozen for 4 years (of Alberto Fernández's management), ”he stated.
These actions, he highlighted, are based on disrupting “organized mafias that are violent” in provinces such as Santa Fe, Buenos Aires, Corrientes and Misiones.
“The provincial police are going to be essential in patrolling, because they know the area well and when the trucks arrive.
We order, through a device, each and every truck to enter the port through safe transit.
A system is created for trucks to record the time they are going to enter through a shift.
Before, they would wait 12 or 14 hours, where they would blow up the trucks and take part of the harvest to sell it in a nearby area,” he indicated during the event that he shared with some provincial ministers and mayors.
In this regard, he explained that he had a meeting with the mayor of San Lorenzo, Leonardo Raimundo, to allocate federal forces to that port town and prevent this illegal sale from taking place there.
“Now, we are going to work so that, with Safe Harvest, the nozzle decreases by more than 80%, as we have already achieved.
In addition, we will prevent the truck's transit time from meaning more costs for production,” he asserted.