Agriculture & Fisheries

No area of the economy has felt the turnaround from the election of President Mauricio Macri more sharply than the agriculture sector. The country’s vast agricultural plains, known as the pampa húmeda, are one of the world’s great breadbaskets, but years of state intervention in the sector have diminished crop diversity and led to falling exports. However, the new government’s pro-market stance opens the door for Argentina to again be a major grain exporter. Major infrastructure upgrades will help to expand the agricultural frontier and cut transport costs, while an eventual decline in inflation and stabilisation of the exchange rate could allow farmers to deploy capital where it is needed most. Just as Argentine agriculture proved it was at the cutting edge of technology in the 1990s, it is now showing potential to lead the way in the 2020s. This chapter features interviews with Luis Miguel Etchevehere, Minister of Agro-industry; and Gustavo Grobocopatel, Chairman, Grupo Los Grobo.