Argentine Farmers Protest against Rising Export Taxes on Soybean

Thousands of Argentine farmers held a protest against an increase in soybean export taxes Sunday in Rosario, northwest of the capital Buenos Aires, local media reported.

Argentine farmers took to the streets, warning that if the government does not soften the export restrictions, they could blockade the highways and roads like they did last spring in a move against food shortages across the country.

The government and farmers also blamed each other for a failure of the two-hour negotiation on May 22.

We must be prepared to return to the blockades and protests, to take the necessary decisions if there's no change soon to the restrictions, president of the Argentine Agrarian Federation Eduardo Bazzi was quoted as saying by the press.

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez urged the farmers to understand that before any sector, before our individuals, the interests of the country come first.

Most of Argentine grain production is for exports, and the farm sector is one of the major exporters of grains and soybeans.

The farmers have been on strike since May 8 after Fernandez raised export taxes on soybean products from 33 percent to 44.1 percent in March.

Source: CRIEnglish