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A week-long farmers’ strike is slated to end today in Argentina in the latest battle in a long-running dispute between the agricultural sector and the government. During the strike, nearly 300,000 farmers represented by four different farm organizations, stopped livestock and grain sales in an attempt to shutdown Argentine export operations. The strike came in response to what are perceived to be President de Kirchner’s high taxes on soy exports. More specifically the farmers opposed her recent veto of an export tax exemption for those affected by drought. Argentina is in the middle of its worst drought in decades. The shift toward a monoculture production of soy comes at the expense of traditional staple food production arising from a global demand for soy, especially in China, India and the European Union, mainly for poultry feed. Argentina now ranks third after the United States and Brazil in soy exports. Transnational giants like Dow, Cargill, and Monsanto are reaping billions in profits from Argentina’s soy industry. Farmers are forced into soy production by government price manipulation and export restrictions in the beef and wheat industries as well as by financial speculators who buy their land for soy production. They say the 35% export tax undercuts production. Farming communities are also unhappy about high volumes of herbicide used on soy fields. The herbicide, Glysophate, has been linked to higher rates of cancer and birth defects where the spraying occurs.

GUEST: Marie Trigona, is a journalist and correspondent for Free Speech Radio news, based in Buenos Aires

Read Marie Trigona’s article here: http://mujereslibres.blogspot.com/2009/09/soy-republic-of-argentina.html

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