At the Expoagro stand the state of the field is summarized: it rained, the heat eased, the yields improved and it shows. There’s a a force that contrasts with other production sectors.
You see manufacturers noting the features and taking photos of the “irons,” as they call planters and reapers or large irrigation equipment and sprinklers. And I know them too Enter the rooms by playing numbers with the sellers.
In 2023, a historic drought will occur, they have passed. Others spend a good part of the day demonstrating technological skills in the field.
Banks offering financing also appeared. The nation started with rates of 1.5% per annum in dollars and one year grace period. The Macro 0% in dollars. The Province offers pesos at 65% per annum and BBVA at 64% with a term of 48 months.
And numerous machinery factories, in order to sell, launched their own grain exchange plan. This is the case of Stara with Brazilian capital and factory in General Alvear in Santa Fe.
Curious. Bankers seem keen not only to lend to the countryside, but also to undertake marketing. This is the case of the owner of Comafi, Guillermo Cerviño who joined ex-Cargill, Cristian Sicardi, Javier Iraola and Eduardo Racedo on grain and meat transactions.
Alfredo Gusmán, president of the Latin American Angus Confederation, highlights new players following the interest that Argentine genetics arouses in livestock breeds. “They come from the United States, Mexico and Europe to buy and “They take everything at elite livestock auctions,” He says anticipating that meat will increasingly be an export business.
Some highlight the advances of genetics in other areas. This is the case of Fernando Díaz Colodrero, a leader in the export of confectionery sunflowers that has developed variety depending on the desires of each market. Its customers include the United States, North African countries and Spain among 60 destinations. Díaz Colodrero has just become the main shareholder of the well-known biscuit brand Tía Maruca.
“Expectations have been created and it is expected that dynamic sectors of the economy, such as agriculture, mining and energy produce a rebound with investment growth in a few months”says Martín Berardi, president of Ternium, Techint’s subsidiary for flat steels.
“I’m optimistic, but they have to do it first accept the relative prices“, says David Hughes, president of Argentrigo, which brings together the cereal production chain.
For Francisco de la Fuente, credited with having introduced soya to South Africa and having produced seeds in that country, “the question is political. “This uncertainty is fantastic” He says in clear praise of Javier Milei. Ricardo Smith Estrada agrees: “We are experiencing a change that goes beyond Milei.”
Rosana Negrini, president of Agrometal, says that after a 2023 that combined drought, producers’ despair and political uncertainty, “now there is a different state of mind. We adjust production without laying off staff and try to sell as much as possible.” Negrini already exports to the region and is excited about his next step opening in Eastern Europe with a Bulgarian partner.
Gastón Ricardo, owner of the Indecar seed drill and fertilizer factory, observes along the same lines caution and enthusiasm at the same time in producers. “The first half of the year will be tough,” he warns as he looks for alternatives such as joining with the seed company Bioceres and the American company Stir to multiply seeds in fields worked with their seeders worth up to 519,000 dollars.
Source: Clarin
