Argentine farmers begin nationwide strike
Jun 6, 2012, 3:57 PM
Associated Press
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) – Argentine farmers are going on a one-week nationwide strike to protest higher taxes.
The country is the world’s third-largest exporter of soy and the farmers say the tax hike in top farming province Buenos Aires will hurt profits and could force them to sell fields. Argentine Agrarian Federation chief Eduardo Buzzi says Wednesday’s national protest should be a warning call for the government to end interventionist policies. The protest began earlier this week in Buenos Aires province.
Buzzi says growers will stop sales of grains, cattle and other farm products. But they will not block roads as they did in 2008, when a national strike against a soy tax led to food shortages, boosted world grains prices and damaged President Cristina Fernandez’s popularity.
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