The Government, under the administration of Javier Milei, announced this Wednesday the implementation of a plan to modernize the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA), a state agency dependent on the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries.
This Government plan, presented by presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni during a press conference at the Casa Rosada, seeks to restructure and optimize the operation of the INTA so that it better meets its original objectives of promoting the country’s agricultural development.
INTA, founded in 1956, has been a fundamental pillar in agricultural research and development in Argentina. However, in recent years, there has been criticism that the institute has deviated from its primary objectives, focusing on issues that, according to the current Government, have no direct relationship with agriculture.
Manuel Adorni highlighted that since 2007, the INTA It has dedicated itself to issues such as gender issues, the rights of indigenous peoples and family farming, to the detriment of its main mission. The modernization plan includes the sale of underused buildings and land, as well as the layoff of 227 employees.
Adorni explained that the money raised from the sale of these properties will be used to finance research and improve the equipment of the INTA. One of the buildings that will be sold is the one located on Avenida Cerviño and Ortiz de Campo in Palermo, which has more than 3,100 square meters of covered surface for just 140 employees.
Another important aspect of the plan is the reduction of spending on salaries, since currently 90% of INTA’s annual budget, which amounts to 250 million dollars, is allocated to paying salaries. The objective is to increase private participation in INTA research, which is currently less than 10%, to reach 30% by 2027.
Income
The Government’s plan also contemplates the elimination of 227 admissions that were made last year and that should have been suspended in January. In addition, the INTA property in Cerrillos, province of Salta, will be made available for sale. Adorni stressed that the INTA Board of Directors will vote tomorrow on this plan and hopes that the organization’s directors will approve these measures to provide more resources to the INTA and enhance their research.
The presidential spokesperson also mentioned that INTA has 116,000 hectares among all its properties and properties, of which only 45,000 are used for experimentation for commercial and productive purposes. This inefficient use of resources is one of the problems that the modernization plan seeks to solve.
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