Blueberry producers and leaders of the productive sector stated at the opening of the 8th Regional Technical Conference on Blueberries, that was held on Tuesday and Wednesday in the city of Concordia, Entre Rios, that they needed a tax and legal framework to promote investments in the blueberry sector.
More than two hundred blueberry producers and technicians gathered on Tuesday to outline the goals and strategies for the 2017 harvest, which has already begun with some early varieties in the Mesopotamian zone of Argentina. Members of the sector from all over Argentina, Chile, Peru and Uruguay got together for the 8th Regional Technical Conference on Blueberries, which was organized by the Blueberry Producers Association from Argentina's Mesopotamia (APAMA).
During the opening speech, the president of APAMA, Alejandro Pannunzio, celebrated the recent labor agreement achieved with the Ministry of Labor and said that it guaranteed this harvest's jobs and promoted the creation of new jobs.
"In Argentina, all regional economies have a problem. They are highly valued nominally, but not when it comes to establishing laws to promote them. That's why we have to keep in mind that the blueberry sector has professionals of all kinds, we continually train our staff and generate jobs. That's why we need a tax and legal framework to develop investments," he added.
"Nowadays, we have the possibility of talking with the national government, as they have become more receptive, and we want to thank them for that. They also return the VAT and the export duties to us more quickly. The country needs a regional economies law and a more competitive dollar. We think its positive that the national government is interested in maintaining the productive sector's competitiveness," he added.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Production for Entre Rios, Carlos Scheppens, said that "we want to help producers to promote the blueberry consumption in the province and in the country. We need to enlarge the domestic market." "The issues discussed here are fundamental to enrich the discussions with our trading partners, such as Uruguay and other countries," the official said.
The issues discussed at the meeting included the commercial prospects for the region, the export landscape, climate prospects for Argentina and neighboring countries; and phytopathological relevance in blueberries, among others. On Wednesday morning, the attendees will participate in a visit to plantations in the Concordia area and conclude the conference.