The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries decided this Monday extend for 75 days the start-up of the system for cutting up beef for internal marketing, in response to a request made by the provinces of stretching the terms of implementation of the measure.
“In response to the requests presented by the provinces regarding the need to strengthen issues related to implementation, control and logistics, it has decided to extend, in an extraordinary way, for 75 days the implementation of resolution 2/21, referring to the cutting of meat. “Agriculture said in a statement.
In this way, “the term is extended until January 15, 2023 so that the provinces and the actors that make up the chain finish adapting what is necessary to begin with the implementation of this measure recommended by the International Organization of the Labor (ILO), which improves the working conditions of workers, so that they no longer carry on their shoulders half cattle of more than 100 kilos“.
Within this framework, the Ministry of Agriculture will maintain an agenda of meetings with members of the meat chain in the coming days to speed up the implementation of the measure.
The objective of the measure, which was announced by the national government in a joint resolution signed at the time by the Ministries of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries and Productive Development, together with the labor portfolio, is supplant the marketing of the half carcass by pieces that must not exceed 32 kilos.
In this way, the unloading of the half carcass that currently governs, which can weigh 120 kilos, will be avoided, as well as the contamination that can be produced through this transport system.
In this waythis marketing modality will remain in force for two and a half months after the second extension of the measuredespite the fact that in the previous days from various national agencies in charge of applying it, they assured that the wholesale marketing system by pieces was going to start this Tuesday.
Although from the private sector they affirmed that they agreed that the “manual” unloading should not continue, the chambers mainly dedicated to the internal supply of meat categorically rejected the implementation of the chopping system.
Meanwhile, from the Meat Exporters Consortium (ABC) they openly supported and promoted the new system.
The Argentine Chamber of Slaughterers and Suppliers led the resistance, assuring that it was “unfeasible”, since the slaughter plants did not have the necessary facilities and that “Deadlines established for its adaptation have not been met due to the high cost and complexity of the works to be carried out,” despite the fact that the measure was announced a year and a half ago.
In addition, they indicated that “the financing of the works committed by the government that has not been made effective”for which they requested its suspension, and the implementation of mechanical means for unloading the half carcasses.
However, the greatest pressure was exerted by the Federation of Regional Refrigeration Industries of Argentina (Fifra), which moved towards an employer lockout in the associated plants in Córdoba, Santa Fe and Entre Ríos.
Last Friday, the Santa Fe Cold Storage Chamber (Cafrisa), the Córdoba Meat Processing and Meat Industry Association (AFIC) and the Entre Ríos Meat Chamber (Cicer) announced that they would not receive revenue as of this Monday and that there was going to be no slaughter activity or distribution of meat from Tuesday “due to the validity of the regulations regarding cutting and the lack of authorization to use mechanical means for unloading”, a measure that was rendered ineffective by the extension .
