Flag this messagesat 14 february.Thursday, February 12, 2009 5:42 PM
From: "Muriel Elizabeth Hayes"
Farmers in Argentina last year, staged the longest farm rebellion against the government in the nations history.
On Thursday the leading farm groups warned that they will announce next week a grains sales boycott, which will be the ninth in the last year.
Eduardo Buzzi, one of the main farm leaders told opposition legislators in Congress, that he will propose that his fellow members make the sales ban official, unless there is immediate action from the government, to reduce the export taxes.
Farmers have been severely affected by the plunge in the global market prices for soy and grain, coupled with the recent drought and the economic downturn.
Buzzi said it was the government, who were pushing the farmers into these types of actions.
From the political point of view this is all good news for the opposition parties in Argentina, who are using the situation to bring down the government.
The president is visiting the state of Salta, where the flood damage caused by the recent heavy rains have, caused the region to be declared a state of emergency.
Eight people are still missing, crops are under water and mud and thousands of cattle have been lost.
This has come after the hottest summer in 55 years, with the longest period without rain in the history of Argentina.