This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BUENOS AIRES 000269 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR ECON WHA/BSC 
PASS TO DEPUTY UNDER SECRETARY FOR FARM AND FOREIGN 
AGRICULTURAL SERVICES DR. JIM BUTLER 
USDA FOR FAS/ITP/LEGIS AFFAIRS/PECAD/COTS/G&FD/FAA 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: EAGR AR
SUBJECT:  AGRICULTURAL COUNSELOR'S MEETING WITH 
CONGRESSWOMAN MARIA DEL CARMEN ALARCON AND MEMBERS OF "PAMPA 
SUR" 
 
 
Sensitive But Unclassified - Not for Internet distribution 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  On January 27, the Agricultural 
Counselor (AgCouns) and staff, and representatives from the 
Political Section met with Congresswoman Maria del Carmen 
Alarcon (Partido Justicialista - Santa Fe) and members of 
the agricultural lobbying organization, "Pampa Sur".  Deputy 
Alarcon recounted the origins of  "Pampa Sur", and outlined 
the principal objectives of this organization, emphasizing 
that influencing the Executive Branch and Congress to 
implement policies which supported the development of 
Argentina's agricultural and livestock sector, was "Pampa 
Sur's" top, overarching priority.  Deputy Alarcon mentioned 
that while "Pampa Sur" members tended to be from Argentina's 
agricultural principal growing areas (i.e., the Provinces of 
Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Santa Fe, and La Pampa), the 
organization had begun recruiting members that represented 
Argentina's diverse agricultural and livestock interests 
from all parts of Argentina.  One of the projects which 
"Pampa Sur" championed was a reorganization of the 
Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries, whose 
 
SIPDIS 
aim was to promote and enhance cooperation among the various 
constituent offices.  The Agricultural Counselor offered to 
assist "Pampa Sur" in meeting with USDA officials should 
members decide to visit Washington to learn firsthand how 
agricultural policy is carried out by the USG.  END SUMMARY. 
 
 
 
  "Pampa Sur" Leaders Visit Embassy Agricultural Section 
  --------------------------------------------- ------------- 
--------- 
¶2.  (SBU) Leaders of Argentina's agricultural-livestock 
lobbying organization, "Pampa Sur"  visited the Embassy's 
Agricultural Section on January 27, to explain 
organizational objectives, and to discuss specific 
agricultural-livestock issues.  The "Pampa Sur" delegation 
was led by Congresswoman Maria Carmen del Alarcon (Partido 
Justicialista [PJ]-Santa Fe), who is also the Chair of the 
Argentine Chamber of Deputies Agricultural, Livestock, and 
Fisheries Committee.  Alarcon was accompanied by former 
Secretary of Agriculture Rafael Delpech, former President of 
 
SIPDIS 
the Argentine Rural Confederation (CRA) Arturo Navarro, and 
two "Pampa Sur" staff members. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Alarcon opened the meeting describing the origins 
of "Pampa Sur", which has been in existence for a little 
more than a year.  The impetus to its establishment, Alarcon 
relayed, came from the "Partido Justicialista", although she 
stressed that "Pampa Sur" had representatives from other 
Argentine political parties.  It was important to underline, 
though, that this organization was not restricted to 
politicians, and counted as its members the leaders of the 
Argentine agricultural and livestock sectors. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Initially, Alarcon continued, "Pampa Sur" focused 
its energies and organization efforts on the provinces of 
Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Santa Fe, and La Pampa, which 
constitute Argentina's agricultural heartland.  At present, 
it was expanding its recruitment, and had formed regional 
working groups for Northwestern and Northeastern Argentina 
to assist in this initiative.  To demonstrate the political 
support, which this fledgling organization had already 
garnered, Alarcon affirmed that "Pampa Sur" had received the 
backing of Senators Carlos Reutemann (PJ- Santa Fe), and 
Ruben Marin (PJ-La Pampa), among other Argentine political 
leaders. 
 
Issues on the Agenda of "Pampa Sur" 
-------------------------------------------- 
¶5.  (SBU) Secretary Delpech then outlined some of the 
issues, which were of concern to "Pampa Sur", beginning with 
tax reform.  Delpech asserted that tax laws, which currently 
existed, were poorly enforced, and their lack of clarity 
contributed to tax evasion.  This environment fostered the 
elaboration of fiscal measures whose execution unfairly 
punished agricultural and livestock producers. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Delpech then identified intellectual property 
rights (IPR) as another critical issue, specifically the 
drafting of legislation, which ensured the collection of 
royalties for new seed varieties and biotech events. 
Delpech opined that there were many different parties, both 
private and official, who while verbally supporting the 
concept of IPR, had been responsible for abuses. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Delpech reiterated the importance that "Pampa Sur" 
attached to IPR, and lamented the fact that the GOA and 
private sector stakeholders were not debating it seriously. 
In essence, "Pampa Sur" advocated the creation of an IPR 
law, which would be in accord with international norms, and 
most fundamentally, a law that could be effectively 
enforced.  In reference to the Argentine Seed Law which 
permits growers to re-use seed, especially Monsanto's Round 
Up Ready (RR) transgenic soybean seed, from one harvest to 
the next, Delpech opined that this should be only applicable 
to small growers, and all other growers should pay royalties 
for the usage of the RR gene technology. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) The AgCouns then queried Delpech about "Pampa 
Sur's" views on Monsanto's threat to force growers to pay 
the royalties by embargoing Argentine soybean shipments 
before they were discharged in countries in which Monsanto 
had patent protection for the RR technology (Note:  Monsanto 
has stated that it will charge US$15 per ton on Argentine 
soybeans that are not covered by export licenses issued by 
Monsanto).   Delpech responded that this measure would 
intensify the politicization of this issue, and generate 
conflict, which would ultimately jeopardize Monsanto and 
Argentine growers alike. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Alarcon changed the tack of the discussion, 
raising food safety as another issue, which was of 
fundamental importance to "Pampa Sur".  Given Argentina's 
leading role as an international agricultural and food 
exporter, the Congresswoman asserted that traceability 
requirements, which ensured high food safety standards, 
should be built into current legislation.  The AgCouns then 
asked about the export taxes ("retenciones") that the GOA 
applies to agricultural and food exports.  One of the "Pampa 
Sur" staffers responded that depending on relative commodity 
prices, which were prevailing, the five percent export tax 
applied to apple exports could be more punitive for growers 
than the 23.5 percent tax imposed on soybean shipments. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) Delpech asserted that the GOA benefited from the 
revenues generated by export taxes, which bolstered the 
coffers of the treasury, did not have to be shared with the 
provincial governments, and thus was disposed to maintain 
them.   The Argentine food industry, he continued, also 
comprised a significant force, which lobbied the GOA to 
continue this form of taxation, which ultimately subsidized 
their production.  Local prices of commodities reflected the 
after-tax value, he emphasized, and thus, lowered the input 
and production costs for the Argentine food industry. 
 
¶11.  (SBU) Alarcon then shifted the focus to the structure 
of the Secretariat Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries 
(SAGPYA), and lamented that the entities which constituted 
SAGPYA did not communicate with one another very well.  The 
National Sanitary and Agri-Food Quality Service (SENASA), 
Alarcon stated, enjoyed much autonomy, even though it was, 
on paper, subordinated to the Office of the Secretary. 
"Pampa Sur", she continued, would like to present a project 
for the reorganization of SAGPYA to the Argentine Congress 
with the idea that a well-planned restructuring would lead 
to more efficient operations in support of the agricultural, 
livestock, and fisheries sectors.  Alarcon also stressed 
that given the importance of the foregoing sectors to the 
national economy, the SAGPYA should be elevated to a 
Ministerial status. 
 
¶12.  (SBU) Upon hearing "Pampa Sur's " interests in 
revamping SAGPYA, the AgCouns asked if the delegation 
members would be interested in visiting Washington to learn 
firsthand about USDA's organization and operations, and to 
meet with USDA officials to discuss further their ideas. 
Alarcon responded that "Pampa Sur" members would be very 
interested in doing so, and in visiting with members of the 
U.S. House Agricultural Committee as well.  The AgCouns 
assured the Congresswoman that he would relay these 
interests to Washington, and would be happy to assist in 
setting up meetings with the appropriate parties in USDA. 
 
¶13.  (SBU) Alarcon ended the meeting by announcing a major 
event which "Pampa Sur" was organizing in Buenos Aires for 
March 11-12, 2005:  a conference on the role of Argentine 
agriculture.  The AgCouns responded that Embassy staff would 
be keenly interested in attending. 
 
¶14.  (SBU) Note:  Although the Argentine agricultural and 
livestock sectors have had very little influence over GOA 
policy for the last seventy-five years, with the emergence 
of "Pampa Sur", it appears that this situation may be 
gradually changing.  This organization appears to be 
garnering increasing support from influential politicians 
and business leaders, and its agenda points in the right 
direction.  Much more and very hard work will need to be 
done, however, to set the stage for the types of reforms 
that its members envision. 
LLORENS