Despite the strong protest of more than 35 thousand tomato producers from Cuyo, the Government refused to discuss a limitation on the entry of tomatoes from Italy, which has grown exponentially since the end of 2015.
After a meeting held in the Ministry of Production, officials did not want to address the problem of imports of pear tomatoes that jeopardise the livelihoods of at least 35 thousand producers, as sources from the sector have reiterated. As usual, the team lead by Minister Francisco Cabrera restricted the analysis to improving competitiveness and lowering costs, a position widely rejected by businessmen. "The problem is that the tomatoes enter at dumping prices and the government does nothing," said the industry.
The tomato sector demanded measures against imports but the Secretary of Commerce, Miguel Braun, said that the focus should not be placed on the entry of merchandise but on local costs. In response to a note published in BAE Negocios, the Secretary of Commerce wrote via Twitter that the solution to canned tomato imports couldn't be increasing the price of a fundamental food for Argentines.
"We have to work on costs. For example, some companies pay more for a can than for the tomatoes," he added.
Source: baenegocios.com