This Sunday, Governor Maximiliano Pullaro presided over the official opening ceremony of the 90th edition of the Reconquista Rural Expo, where he highlighted Santa Fe’s role as one of Argentina’s main drivers of production and argued that the country should leverage the growth in agricultural, mining, and energy exports to finance infrastructure and development, rather than allocating those resources to populist policies.
“We have to ask ourselves what we Argentines are going to do with that foreign exchange and how we are going to address the national situation so that it doesn’t get swept up in populism,” Pullaro stated. He also outlined the priorities that, in his view, should be part of that agenda: “We want to discuss the development of the Argentine Republic, the condition of our roads, energy development, and connectivity.”
Speaking before producers, leaders of agricultural organizations, and provincial and local officials, the governor also reaffirmed one of the sector’s main demands: “We want to put an end once and for all to those damned export taxes so that the agricultural sector and industry can continue to drive this economy.”
Santa Fe, a driving force in production
The governor devoted a large part of his speech to highlighting Santa Fe’s importance to the Argentine economy and linked this capacity to the province’s historical identity. Santa Fe produces “one in every four kilos of beef exported” from Argentina, he noted, and “one in every three tonnes of cereals and oilseeds” destined for the export market. He also highlighted the importance of the provincial port system and its strategic role in channelling a large proportion of national exports.
“We are the province that drives employment and production,” emphasised Pullaro, who described the Santa Fe government as a “natural ally” of the agricultural sector and industry. “We are here to reaffirm our commitment to working alongside the agricultural sector and industry, because the agricultural sector is integral to the identity and culture of Santa Fe,” he stated.
Roads, canals and connectivity
Pullaro also gave an overview of the measures the Provincial Government is implementing to improve infrastructure linked to production. Among these, he highlighted the repair of around 3,400 kilometres of provincial roads and the work being carried out on the canal network. “We have 10,000 kilometres of canals in the province and we have already cleared 7,000,” he explained. Furthermore, regarding the water situation in northern Santa Fe, he noted that the Canal del Inglés and other canals form part of the upcoming projects planned by the Province.
Rural security and technology
Another key focus was security in agricultural areas. Pullaro recalled that the province had re-established a dedicated working group to tackle rural crime, appointed prosecutors to investigate such offences, and made progress in strengthening and equipping the police force.
“Once the roll-out of the fibre-optic network in the province is complete, we will integrate the entire rural area into the Lince system,” he stated. As he explained, the initiative will provide “a much more powerful tool” for preventing and investigating crimes affecting farmers and agricultural and livestock holdings.
Pullaro concluded his speech with a call to strengthen collaboration between the State and the productive sectors. “Here we have a provincial government that is an ally, which will support you and defend you, because it believes in the countryside, in industry and in trade,” he said. He added: “If Argentina looks to this productive heartland, it has an opportunity to develop and move forward.”
The event was attended by the Minister for Government and Public Innovation, Fabián Bastía; the Minister for Productive Development, Gustavo Puccini; and the Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security, Roald Báscolo; the Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock, Ignacio Mántaras; the provincial director of the Reconquista Regional Delegation, Oscar Duarte; provincial senator Orfilio Marcon; provincial deputies Dionisio Scarpin, Emiliano Peralta and María del Rosario Mancini; and the mayors of Reconquista, Enrique Vallejos, and Avellaneda, Gonzalo Braidot. Also present were the President of the Reconquista Rural Society, José Ignacio Sponton; the President of the Argentine Rural Society, Nicolás Pino; and other representatives of agricultural organisations.
