Paraguay – Rice sowing at Salitre Cue farm (September 2017).

We are please to inform you that we started to sow our first plots with rice on 09/05/17. 240 hectares are already well under way as you can see.

We have currently optimal sowing conditions and hope they will remain unchanged.

Argentina – Mid-term primary election results (August 2017).

The surprising success of President Mauricio Macri’s political coalition in key Argentine provinces in a primary election has strengthened its position heading into October’s midterm legislative vote and given a boost to its pro-business economic reforms.

The primary election of August, 13 served as a referendum on President Macri’s administration and Cambiemos, his governing coalition in Congress. As a snapshot of voting intentions come October, Cambiemos strengthened its position nationwide, winning in 11 of the 24 districts.

The clearest example was evidenced in the Province of Buenos Aires, which pitted Esteban Bullrich against former President Cristina Kirchner. Mrs Kirchner had been widely expected to defeat Esteban Bullrich, the candidate of current President coalition. However, Bullrich virtually tied Kirchner in the Senate race which is seen as a major win for Macri. Even if she dismisses the corruption accusations as politically motivated.

A second-place finish would still grant Mrs Kirchner, a Senate seat, which would give immunity from arrest, although not from trial. Under Argentina’s election system, the winning party in each Senate race gets two of the province’s three seats, with the remaining seat going to the second-place finisher.

Short term results, Argentina’s stocks and currency markets were bolstered on 08/14/17 by the positive performance of Macri’s coalition. Those results have to be confirmed now in October.

Paraguay – Update on Salitre Cue farm activities (August 2017).

During the maintenance period which follow production phase, we performed some readjustment of some pipes and connections in the irrigation system in order to have the most efficient use of water possible with minimum loss in pressure or in friction. At the same time, those adjustments are also going to reduce future maintenance operations and prevent soil from erosion.

Meanwhile, we have also prepared land for the coming sowing campaign. All inputs needed are at farm as you can see, and 1,300 hectares are ready to be sowed as of September.

Argentina – Mid-term elections (August 2017).

The campaign for the August primaries is on (PASO) and politics is starting to monopolise the attention. General elections will take place on October 22. Although activity is recovering and inflation is falling, this is happening too slowly and too unevenly across sectors and regions for most voters to notice by August. The economy may have more political impact in the October election. Mid-term elections will renew half the seats in the Lower House of Congress (127), and a third of the seats in the Senate (24).

The main contenders are the Cambiemos alliance (pro Macri coalition) and the two main opposition groups: the Front for Victory (FpV) coalition of former president Cristina Fernández (2007-15), which remains the strongest adversary to Macri in Congress, and the Renewal Front (FR) coalition led by Sergio Massa, perceived as a more moderate and cooperative faction of the Peronist political movement.

The most interesting contest takes place in Buenos Aires province where former president Cristina Kirchner decided to run for a seat in the Senate. The government needs to show it can beat the former president in her (and Peronism’s) stronghold. It may fail to do so in August, but will probably do it in October. Losing against her would raise the spectre for investors that “Kirchnerismo” and its business-unfriendly policies might return in 2019.

On the other hand, Cristina Kirchner must prove she is still relevant within the Peronist party, and worthy of consideration for a run for the presidency in 2019. Another very important fact is that she would enjoy judicial immunity provided by a Senate seat considering all her current legal troubles.

Uruguay – Support provided to Melo’s hospital (La Esperanza farm area – July 2017).

We decided to provide some support to the maternity and pediatric department of Melo’s hospital by buying some equipment that were sorely lacking. We place emphasis on safety and quality for kids as well as providing mothers-to-be with the most comfortable environment. Therefore, we offered to the unit 10 reclining armchairs, breast pumps, metallic wardrobe and bilirubin measure equipments.

Below you will find some pictures taken at the event organized by MADER association at the hospital when the equipments have been supplied.

This action has been taken via a local non-profit organization called MADER with the support of Maria, Mr Alfredo Nunez wife (Campos Purchase manager & La Esperanza Manager). We deeply thank Maria for her involvement.