Argentina farmers meet new agri minister; skeptical of change

Argentina's disgruntled farmer groups met with the new Agriculture Minister, Julian Dominguez, Tuesday (Oct 6) as the government moved to raise the profile of the agency that had been largely sidelined since a bruising conflict with the farm sector last year.

While farmers welcomed the higher profile for the Agriculture Ministry, they were skeptical that the moves represented a change in policies they say are stifling the sector.

"It's just a first meeting and we're waiting to see some results," Argentine Agrarian Federation president Eduardo Buzzi told reporters Tuesday.

Dominguez was sworn in last week and the Agriculture Secretariat elevated to Ministerial status. The agency had previously been placed under the production ministry and former agriculture secretary Carlos Cheppi kept a very low profile during tense negotiations between farmers and the production ministry.

Farmers have launched a number of strikes this year to protest export taxes and other agricultural policies.

In addition, the powerful agricultural trade office, ONCCA, which controls farm exports and subsidies, was placed under the Agriculture Ministry and a new director, Manuel Campillo, named.

Argentina's farmers played a key role in helping wrest control of Congress from the ruling party of President Cristina Fernandez in midterm elections earlier this year and are setting their sights on unseating the power pair, President Fernandez and her husband, former president Nestor Kirchner in the 2011 presidential elections.

Farmers plan to focus their hatred of government policies on pressuring Congress and on preparing for the presidential vote, while avoiding more prolonged strikes, Mario Llambias, president of the Argentine Rural Confederation, or CRA, said at a recent protest rally.