Argentine agricultural exports 

·         On July 17, 2008 Argentine Senate  narrowly rejected controversial tax increases on agricultural exports that have provoked repeated protests by farmers.

·         With senators tied 36 to 36 after more than 16 hours of debate, Vice-President Julio Cobos cast the deciding vote to reject his government's proposals.

·         The outcome is as a blow to President Cristina Fernandez

·         Farmers said the taxes would be crippling, but the government said they were needed to fight poverty.

·         Argentina is a major producer of soya, grains and beef, which fetch high prices on international markets.

Mission IAS’2009

·         The dispute between the government and farmers began in March, when President Fernandez's government raised taxes on soya exports from 35% to 45%, and imposed new taxes on other farm exports.

·         The government argued that they needed to raise taxes on agricultural exports to help build a new Argentina.

·         It said farmers could afford to pay more, as they were benefiting from high prices.

·         The authorities also accused farmers and their supporters of undermining democracy by refusing to respect the wishes of the elected government.

• Argentina, occupying most of the southern portion, or southern cone, of South America, is bounded by Chile to the south and west, Bolivia and Paraguay to the north, and Brazil, Uruguay, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east.
• With an area of 1,073,399 square miles (2,780,092 square km)--more extensive than Mexico and the U.S. state of Texas combined—it is the eighth largest country in the world.
• Buenos Aires is the capital.
• Argentina is shaped like an inverted triangle with its base at the top; it is some 880 miles (1,420 km) across at its widest from east to west and stretches 2,360 miles (3,800 km) from the subtropical north to the subantarctic south.
• This great north-south length embraces regions of striking diversity, including the Andes Mountains, the thorny scrubland and seasonal swamps of the Gran Chaco, the broad, fertile plains of the Pampas, the stark tableland of Patagonia, and an undulating Atlantic coastline of some 2,900 miles (4,700 km).
• Argentina also claims a portion of Antarctica, as well as several islands in the South Atlantic, including the British-ruled Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas).