Argentina Port Strikes Halt Grains Shipments, More Protests Planned
The grains inspectors of Argentina kick-started a 24-hour strike on Monday to demand bonus payments, but port activities and the shipments of farm products remained unaffected in the South American nation, the top worldwide exporter of processed soybeans.
The press secretary of the URGARA union, Juan Carlos Peralta, said that there was strong compliance with strike actions and that on Monday, the union would be holding yet another assembly to decide whether to extend the strike.
Peralta said that they would continue proceeding with the measure if they did not get an answer.
The strike action led by URGARA, which brings together technical workers who inspect grains stored in stockpiles and loaded on ships, has the potential to disrupt international trade of grains from the major exporter of beef, soy, and corn.
However, the current strike is affecting non-port grains storage centres, primarily hitting trucks, which transport grain to the river as well as marine terminals. Grains exporting companies in the ports have reserves to remain operating for many days.
In the ports, things are calm; there are no impacts of this measure, informed Guillermo Wade, the manager of the Chamber of Port and Maritime Activities (CAPyM).
The current strike comes through during a phase of poor agricultural exports in Argentina. Precisely, the wheat harvest got over in January, and the corn and soybean harvests stayed months away.
Reference: Reuters, The Poultry Site
