agriculture - Argentina - Cristina Kirchner
Argentine farmers resume strike against high export taxes
Saturday 04 October 2008
Argentine farmers have begun a fresh strike against their government's agricultural policy, renewing a bitter conflict with the center-left administration. Argentina is one of the world's top suppliers of soybeans, corn, wheat and beef.
Saturday 04 October 2008
By AFPFarmers in Argentina -- one of the world's top suppliers of wheat, corn, beef and soybeans -- will start a six-day strike on Friday to protest the government's agricultural policy, farm leaders announced Tuesday.
"The government ignored our demands again. We cannot ignore the worsening situation for farmers due to rising costs linked to oil prices and the global financial crisis," said Hugo Biolcatti, one of the main farm leaders and head of the Argentine Rural Society.
Announcing the strike plans at a news conference that brought together the four largest farmer's organizations, Biolcatti also identified the country's ongoing drought -- the worst in a century, according to government officials -- as a cause for concern.
The farm leaders said they are striking because the government has not addressed their demands for lower export taxes.
A 128-day strike by thousands of farmers succeeded earlier this year when the Congress rejected a draft law promoted by President Cristina Kirchner to increase taxes on the export of soybeans and other grains and cereals.
Farmers blocked roads during the dispute, but leaders ruled out similar actions for the latest strike.
Kirchner's left-of-center government suffered politically at the hands of the farmer's victory, and as the bitter disagreement continues Kirchner's administration is unlikely to resist renewed calls for industrial action.
Argentina exports around 35 billion dollars of food produce a year; agricultural exports amount to more than 50 percent of foreign sales in the South American country.
The main destinations for Argentine produce include other South American nations, the European Union and Asia.
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