Argentine farmers back to the baricades over export tax

AP/Miami Herald:

Argentine farm groups suspended grain exports and relaunched road blockades nationwide Wednesday, trying to overturn export taxes that have sparked waves of protests.

''We're not letting trucks carrying any kind of grains pass on the roads,'' Alfredo Robles, a regional director for the Argentine Rural Confederation, told The Associated Press. ``As of Wednesday at midnight, no trucks carrying meat destined for slaughter can pass either.''

Argentina is the world's fourth largest exporter of beef and the third largest exporter of soy.

The supply of cattle to the country's main stockyard had already fallen by nearly 20 percent Wednesday, according to stockyard officials.

President Cristina Fernández's government says the increased export taxes -- reaching more than 40 percent on most grains -- are needed to keep farmers producing wheat, corn and cattle for the local market instead of trying to capitalize on soaring world prices for soy.

...

Cristina is a control freak. A market economy can best decide the distribution of products and service. Putting barriers to exports robs the farmer of his labor and attempts to coerce production of less valuable crops.This is the opposite of a free market economy. It is also bad for the country. It will exacerbate the current rise in prices for food products.

Comments

  1. Asante Samuel5:27 PM

    My friends in the Argentine say it is way worse than reported. She is killing them in the name of South American socialism

    ReplyDelete

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