阿根廷农民罢工引发粮食价格上涨

Strike by Argentine farmers fuels food price rises

Commodities markets are bracing themselves for more food price rises this week as an increasingly tense farm strike in Argentina fuels concerns among importers and strains global stocks.

Argentine farmers halted sales of grains, oilseeds and beef until midnight on Friday after the government rejected their demands to cut a 35 per cent export tariff on soya and sought political support by sharing proceeds of the levy with Argentina's provinces instead.

Argentina is the world's second biggest exporter of agricultural commodities and its sales of soya and corn are critical at this time of year to importers such as China, who turn to Argentina and Brazil until US harvests become available.

The farmers were yesterday protesting at about 60 locations in northern and central Argentina and have staged sporadic roadblocks, occasionally forcing truckers to dump loads.

Strike fears helped push soya prices in Chicago nearly 8 per cent higher last week. Wheat, corn and meat prices also rose.

粮食价格本周将进一步上涨，因为阿根廷日趋紧张的农场罢工令进口商担忧，并令全球股市承压。

到上周五午夜为止，阿根廷农民暂停了谷物、油籽和牛肉的销售。此前，阿根廷政府拒绝了他们提出的关于削减大豆出口关税35%的要求，反而通过与该国各省分享税收收益，寻求政治支持。

阿根廷是全球第二大农产品出口国，对于中国等进口国而言，每年这个时候，该国的大豆和玉米销售都至关重要。在美国的收获季节到来之前，这些国家会转向阿根廷和巴西进口农产品。

昨日，在阿根廷北部和中部约60个地区，农民纷纷举行抗议，并设置分散的路障，有时会迫使卡车倾倒运载的货物。

罢工引发的担忧导致芝加哥大豆价格上周上涨近8%。小麦、玉米和肉类价格也出现上涨。