Farmers block grain access to ports in Argentina

<p>Farmers in Argentina have resumed strike action, with blockades preventing all rail and road deliveries to the country’s largest grain export terminal since Wednesday, <em>Lloyd’s List</em> in London reports today (Friday, May 9).</p> <p>Farmers began the eight-day strike action after government talks on hikes in agricultural export taxes broke down.</p> <p>Agricultural leaders said the strike would see all export grain sales halted.</p> <p>Pickets have again been blocking highways leading to ports, despite media reports that farmers had pledged not to prevent trucks loaded with wheat, grain and corn from reaching export terminals.</p> <p>&#8220Since lunchtime Wednesday, they have stopped trains and trucks carrying grain to the ports and the oil mills,&#8221 Pablo Ferres, manager of Terminal 6, Argentina’s largest grain terminal, said.</p> <p>&#8220These measures are not openly declared but are in force, so no trains and no trucks are arriving.</p> <p>&#8220The news was that no trains or trucks were arriving because of the pickets.&#8221</p> <p>A crippling 21-day strike during March in response to the controversial imposition of higher taxes on wheat, soya and oilseed exports paralysed exports during the height of the country’s grain season.</p> <p>Several grain traders declared <em>force majeure</em> , and spot rates for bulk carriers in the Atlantic fell on the back of the reduced activity.</p> <p>But farmers ended their three-week strike in early April, and declared a 30-day moratorium, allowing them further to harvest their crops.</p> <p>Farm leaders decided to break off weeks of tense negotiations with the centre-left government because officials were unwilling to agree tax reforms.</p> <br />