Argentine truckers strike as soy harvest begins

   According to local media and Reuters, Argentina’s grains-hauling truck drivers, under direction of their union FETRA, have called an indefinite strike to demand higher pay rates as the country begins its important soybean harvest season.
   According to the FETRA, the government has failed to make good on an October promise for a minimum hauling tariff, which came about from a prior strike.
   Union leaders are again set to meet with government officials today, though initial talks failed to reach an agreement earlier this week.
   Argentina is the world’s top exporter of soybean-based oil and meal, and the majority of these crops are initially moved from fertile lowlands near the coast to grain terminals along its interior rivers. Export taxes on soy and soy-related products account for about 5 percent of Argentina’s revenue.
   Reuters reported the country has seen rough wage and tariff negotiations due to an annual inflation rate of 20 to 25 percent. Ongoing negotiations are still expected to be difficult due to inflation rates and the fact that the country’s existing soybean crop is already reduced due to drought.