Argentine Farmers Ready To Mobilise

Lack of rainfall, the collapse of commodity prices and the misguided policies of the Argentine government will cost farmers a fall in income of 43 billion pesos (equivalent to 12.5 billion US dollars) in 2009, according to the Argentine Rural Confederations, CRA.

And Argentine farmers are not happy bunnies. They're planning are planning to return to the streets in an orchestrated wave of protests to complain about their plight and to demand changes in government policies.

CRA vice-president Nestor Roulet said that besides the drought, the Kirchner administration's intervention with misguided policies caused farm prices to fall, discouraged farmers to make use of improved technology, and that the country was now going to harvest 22.4 million tons less grain because if their actions.

CRA together with the three other farmers organizations (FAA, Coninagro and the Argentine Rural Society) will be deciding soon about the next steps to follow.

Two of the organizations favour taking to the road, suspending grain and oilseed sales for two three day periods plus tractor marches in towns and cities.

Argentine Rural Society (SRA) president Hugo Biolcati on Sunday, said the conflict between the government and the farmers is unstoppable and added that the farmers liaison group which includes the four main farming groups, would support week long protests against the government. The liaison committee is set to meet on Thursday, and may finalise demonstration plans then.

Tentative dates are February 19 to 21 and March 5, 6, 7 with a huge concentration in Cordoba on March 14th.