In order to export, refrigerators must comply with the price agreement

From now on, in order for overseas shipments to be approved, meat exporting companies must comply with the delivery of prudent price reductions for the domestic market within the framework of the agreement made with the Government. This is stated in a joint resolution published today and signed by the Minister of Productive Development Matías Kulfas and the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Julián Domínguez.

Secretary of Domestic Trade Roberto Feletti will oversee reporting on compliance or non-compliance with the exporters agreement.

“The Ministry of Internal Trade shall notify the National Directorate of Agricultural Commercial Control of violations, within the framework of its competence, of price agreements and/or regulations applicable to the beef industry identified by the obligated subjects in terms of Article 1 of Joint Resolution No. RESFC-2021-3-APN-MAGYP ”, indicates the resolution.

It then added: “The National Directorate of Agricultural Trade Control will observe the Sworn Declarations of Meat Export Operations (DJEC) as reported by the said Ministry of Domestic Trade, until it reports that the obligated subjects have complied with the appropriate regime.

The closest antecedent of this measure was a warning from the Government to export companies made in mid-March, when some of the companies announced that they were leaving the program of cuts in cautious prices. prices, claiming a high level of informality has remained in the meat chain.and the government is not doing enough to curb this. Minister Domínguez’s response at the time was thate companies that do not comply with the agreement cannot export.

In February, according to official information, the exporters shipped only 2,500 tons of the 6,000 they produced initially to distribute them to over 1,000 outlets nationwide. “I informed them that those who do not follow the promises made to the Argentines will not be able to continue exporting meat,” Domínguez said on his Twitter account.

Now, that threat has been effective.

The program of price reduction cautiously These include seven popular beef cuts at reference prices, below market prices, sold from Monday to Friday at more than a thousand outlets nationwide. Until July 7, the cost of the slices is (per kilo): roast at 679 pesos, empty at 815 pesos, matambre at 810 pesos, skirt at 449 pesos, grilled lid at 679 pesos, butt at 859 pesos and shoulder at 699 pesos.

The official arguments

In the recitals of the new resolution, article 42 of the National Constitution was cited, which establishes that “consumers and users of goods and services have the right, in relation to consumption, to the protection of their health, safety and economic interests with adequate and factual information, freedom of choice, and on conditions of equal and dignified treatment and the authorities shall provide, among other things, the protection of those rights, the defending competition against all forms of market distortion and in control of natural and legal monopolies ”.

Also, keep in mind that until December 31 of this year manages the National Food Emergency and the duty of the national State to guarantee, permanently and as a priority, the right to food and the food security and nutrition of the population.

“Armed conflict in the Black Sea region adds a greater risk to food security (…) the FAO food price index registered a new historic maximum in February 2022 (…) the international demand for meat of cattle and the disproportionate increase in prices due to the war makes it difficult for the citizens of Argentina to access these products, ”the official text statement said.