After years of debate – and which will probably continue -, the national government decided this Monday do not go ahead with the permanent elimination of the marketing of the half-beefmeasure that aimed to protect the health of operators, but has established a weight limit of 32 kilos for manually transported packages and including the obligation to use mechanical dragging means for larger piecesan idea promoted by a large part of the meat supply chain and by many provinces.
The nation’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (SAGYP) has agreed to implement meat cutting with member provinces in the technical advisory table. Establishes a maximum limit of 32 kg per item carried by workersaccording to the loading manuals of the Ministry of Labour, and the use of mechanical means and rails for cattle vehicles.
“In this way, the government respects its commitment to adopt a provision that contemplates it the opinion of the provinces in the marketing of meat. The provision is already in force and functioning”, they said from the dependence of the Ministry of Economy, commissioned by Juan José Bahillo.
For bovines half bovines, the legislation provides that they can be loaded or unloaded only from the means of transport towards the inside of the establishment or vice versa, through the coupling of the carriage rail with the settlement rail.
In October, one day before the entry into force of the rules proposed for months, the Government had extended its implementation until this Sunday, January 15th. Until today it seemed that the deadline had been extended againbut it has finally been announced that it will enter into force on an interim basis, with a focus on workers’ health.
The postponement of the end of the media res had been contested by the Federation of Trade Unions of meat workers and related products of the Argentine Republic (Festicara). “Pushing 100 kilos is not easy at all”, said the secretary general, Gabriel Vallejos.
The Argentine Chamber of Slaughterers and Suppliers (Camya) introduced a stretcher as a “mechanical means” to unload the half carcases and prevent workers in the sector from suffering due to their heavy weight.
Vallejos remarked that there are factories that are unable to make the stretcher and questioned the lack of investment aid.
They formed a technical consultative table
The new resolution also establishes the establishment of a permanent technical consultative table made up of Senasa, SRT, Provinces and other public bodies deemed competent.
“According to what was agreed for the replacement of Resolutions 04/2022, 10/2022 and 91/2022, the Technical Advisory Board has the task of working on the a systematic implementation plan to redevelop the refrigeration industry to the new regulations. It is also established to reflect on the different marketing situations or on the adaptation to the different regional characteristics of the country”, they specified.
According to the authorities, full implementation of the standard is expected systematically and gradually up to the transformation and total modernization of the meat marketing system “according to the 21st century”.
Moreover, it is established at this stage a scale of warnings and penalties into consideration according to the progress of the re-adaptation of the refrigerated establishments. They will be carried out jointly between the nation and each of the provinces.
The head of the consultative cabinet, Juan Manuel Fernández Arocena, participated on behalf of SAGYP; the Undersecretary of Livestock and Animal Production, José María Romero; the Undersecretary for Agricultural Markets, Luciano Zarich; and José Portillo, coordinator of FONDAGRO.
Source: Clarin
