Argentine grains truckers extend strike for second day

div classBodysc17zpet90 cdBBJodivpBy Maximilian Heathp

pBUENOS AIRES Reuters – Argentine truck owners extended a grains transport strike on Tuesday amid calls for a meeting with the government, a protest that hits at the peak of the harvest season in the worlds leading exporter of processed soy and number 2 shipper of corn.pdivdivdiv classBodysc17zpet90 cdBBJodiv

pThe protest, demanding higher freight rates as inflation spirals, started on Monday, leaving important roadways for carrying grains for producers to the ports without the normal jam of trucks which occurs every year from around April.p

pThe indefinite strike has not yet hit exports because the ports have large stored reserves of grains, but a prolongation of the protest could start to affect shipments. About 85 of Argentinas grain is transported around the country by truck.p

p“We will come out of the strike with a new rate schedule. Otherwise we wont come out of the strike at all,” Pablo Agolanti, vice president of the Federation of Argentine Carriers FETRA, told Reuters.p

pThe countrys transport ministry in a statement called for a meeting on Wednesday at 10:00 local time 1300 GMT to continue the “dialogue” with the truckers.p

pRegarding the impact of the protest, local agricultural logistics company AgroEntregas said that “there is no truck movement” towards the port terminals.p

pA grains port sector source, who asked not to be named, told Reuters that ships were currently loading normally due to the reserves, but that “within a few days commitments could be affected” if things did not change.p

pFETRA is demanding an increase in grain rates that were agreed with the government and agricultural associations at the beginning of February, due to a spike in fuel prices. It also wants assured supply of fuel amid worries over diesel supply.p

pArgentina is suffering from inflation running annually above 50, which has been sharpened further by the war in Ukraine causing global supply bottlenecks. p

pThe countrys farmers are currently harvesting soybeans and corn for the 202122 cycle, with production of the two grains estimated by the Buenos Aires grains exchange at 42 million tonnes and 49 million tonnes respectively.p

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pp Reporting by Maximilian Heath Writing by Adam Jourdan Editing by Kirsten Donovanp

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