The drought does not let up in a large part of the country and Santa Fe is one of the most affected provinces. The Rural Reconquista Society (SRR) expressed concern about the situation and the lack of responses from both the provincial and national governments.
This problem is already three years old, but in recent months deepened. The producers have the need to mobilize water and the cisterns that provide the service are not enough.
“Mainly for the little calves, the fields that suffer the most from this drought are those of cow breeding. We are at a time of year when the calves are very young, so they demand energy from the mother. A quick weaning is done, they are separated, so that the mother can recover. That is why we need a specific balanced food that is very expensive, it is at a very high cost in relation to that of meat that is plummeting,” he commented. Augusto Gastaldo, president of the SRR.
Added to the lack of water and grass is the heat wave that will deepen in the coming days. The departments 9 de Julio, Vera and General Obligadoare the most affected, although the area of Fortín Olmos, La Gallareta and surroundings, is the most affected of all.
“There were other droughts but they were shorter and sectorized, this one was very broad. The core area of agricultural production, north of Buenos Aires, south of Santa Fe, Córdoba and Entre Ríos is where this situation hit the most. It’s historical“, remarked the interviewee. “That makes the situation for this year more delicate at the macro level. Many times when there is a drought in one area and another is not, the grains are compensated. But this is widespread“.
Regarding the possibility of some government contribution, Gastaldo acknowledged that the province has the Emergency Law, and this allows you to lower funds. But the emergency lasted so long that many of the beneficiaries of the credits awarded in June and October, they are worse than before.
“Urgently they need new types of financing or extensions in the installments of the credits that they have to pay. They will be left out of the system if they are not assisted, many are in the informal sector, they cannot keep up with all the requirements of the State,” he replied.
For its part, although the national government approved the rule, “it did not show its teeth and did not say what the aid will be about.”
“Not surprising: there are no successful agricultural public policies in the long term. Investment is not encouraged. When we see these crises, and the difficulties to overcome them, is when we emphasize that clear rules are necessary to invest in the future. The tax pressure is tremendously high, the producer has no rest to invest. That is why we say that if the profitability would be in line with the business, the producer could improve,” he concluded.
