Argentine Farmers Hopeful On Government Relations

The death last week of powerful former president Nestor Kirchner may mark a turning point in the government’s relations with Argentine farming groups, but farmers do not expect export tax cuts. The centre-left government of President Cristina Fernandez, Kirchner’s widow, has never forgiven farmers for a 2008 revolt over the grains export taxes. The fiery

New Ag Boss Faces Conflict

Argentina’s government, which has been locked in a bitter dispute with farmers for 18 months, upgraded its top agricultural position to full ministry status and named a new minister on Sept. 30. Julian Dominguez, a lawmaker in Buenos Aires Province, was named as agriculture minister and will replace Agriculture Secretary Carlos Cheppi, Cabinet Chief Anibal


In Brief… – for Sep. 17, 2009

Petunia facelift: Three eastern research institutions are joining forces to give the popular petunia a genetic overhaul. Researchers from the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre, the University of Guelph and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture will soon begin work on developing new traits for the ornamental. “Taking a genomics approach we will search for value-added