Farmers say CFK 'denies' drought damages, warn of new protests

Several farming sector representatives replied to President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner’s statements yesterday, in which she suggested they purchase “drought insurance” to protect their crops, and once again asked the National Government for financial help.

“The President minimizes the grave problems that farming producers are facing,” representatives from the Argentine Agrarian Federation (FAA), and accused her of “denying the serious damages that the drought has brought upon farmers, just like she does with the effects of mining projects wherever they are located.”

Led by Eduardo Buzzi, the farmers also said that “the drought came to worsen many of the problems that we were already dealing with in the sector, which makes the loss of competitiveness among small and medium sized producers even worse.” 

“The Government has to recognize this crisis and once and for all come up with the answers that the people need. If no changes are implemented, then the sector will protest again,” they said.

Regarding the President’s advice to “purchase drought insurance instead of praying for rain, we would like to let her know that there aren’t any insurance companies that cover the entire farming sector in the country, coincidentally because the Government never promoted that.”