Argentine Farmers Urged
To End Strike
Argentina's farm union
leaders on Sunday urged
farmers to end their
strike against hiked
export taxes and restart
dialogues with the
government.
Leaders of agriculture
and livestock unions had
announced on Friday that
they would end the
strike and protests, but
many farmers rejected
the proposal and
remained on strike
through the weekend.
The farmers have been on
strike for almost three
months to protest
against the government's
decision to raise export
taxes on grains and
livestock, saying the
tax rates are
"confiscatory".
They are withholding
grains from market to
protest the tax hikes,
but the government of
President Christina
Fernandez says the
measure was intended to
help tame inflation of
food prices and protect
domestic consumers, and
has refused to negotiate
with farmers as long as
they continue striking.
Argentina is one of the
biggest food producers
in the world and is a
leader in soybean oil
export.
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