For the fifth time since the start of the year, the Argentinean agricultural and zoological organizations put themselves on a war footing.

 

“Strike, rallies and war” is the battle cry of the leader of the Coninagro (Confederacion Intercoperativa Agropecurai) Alberto Garetto who has called all the supporters of the movement to protest yet again the decisions of the Christina Fernandez de Kirchner government. Not only. The Coninagro, the organization that includes the four largest Argentinean agriculture entities asked his supporters not to sell their products from midnight Friday October 3^rd until midnight Wednesday October 8^th, a week long strike. This time, Garretto requested that his supporters and fellow protestors not block the streets with their strikes in an attempt to not irritate people and sway public opinion, as has occurred in the past.

 

The usual announcements. The heavy restrictions on exports and the strict control of prices of Argentina’s main agricultural products, primarily beef, milk and wheat, have convinced the agricultural associations to take the streets once more and cry out their refusal of the decisions of the Kirchner government. The current crisis affecting farmers and the agricultural sector in Argentina is the worst in the last 100 years, and the reasons are easily identified. The primary contributing factor is the worldwide financial crisis. Add to that the plunge in the price of grain, a consumer demand that shows no signs of slowing, an increase in prices of the investments, and the result is a considerably reduced profit for the farmers. In addition, according to the agricultural organizations involved, the suspension of dialogue between the parties did nothing to aide climate of economic instability of the country.

 

From The Presidential Palace. The Kirchner government, which has the potential of suffering another large set back only just shy of a year since the election, held a press conference to respond to the news of plans for another large scale agricultural protest. Representative for the president announced “the financial crisis could end at any moment, no one knows. The protest arranged by the agricultural organizations is not only out of place but does not benefit the country”. The press conference, organized by Secretary of Agriculture Carlos Cheppi, was not without tense moments. Cheppi has not hidden his doubts regarding Argentina’s economic future. The agrarian organizations do not stop however. While understanding they should not tighten the strings too much before obtaining a real agreement with the government, the strikes will go on none the less. President Kirchner realizes more and more that the agriculture sector is much more than a voice of the national economy but seems to have become a political adversary.