From excitement to bad mood, the Rural awaits Milei

Since the Rural School opened its doors a week ago, the parade of officials, politicians (with the exception of Kirchner's supporters) and middle-class businesspeople has been relentless. Unlike last year, when the mood was filled with excitement under Javier Milei's newly inaugurated administration, this time the mood is dominated by bad humor.

And the President himself felt some of that atmosphere. Informed by his friend Nicolás Pino, head of the Rural Ministry, he agreed to a lengthy meeting with agricultural leaders at the exhibition itself. His promise? He insists he will dismantle the tax withholdings before the end of his term.

Minister Caputo, who also met with the Liaison Committee in Palermo, said the same thing yesterday. Caputo outlined how they were dismantling a web of regulations , in addition to the inflationary tax and the exchange rate gap that meant receiving official dollars for their crops and purchasing inputs through the black market: pure ruin.

Given the anxiety surrounding the announcements, the minister asked to wait until this Saturday, although it is already known that the withholding taxes on steer exports will be eliminated, which are of little significance to the Treasury and a sign of encouragement to cattle ranchers.

Producers acknowledge this relief, but note that their complaints stem from hardships that began with the drought, then with the leafhopper that ruined their corn harvest, and now they face low grain prices that, judging by the volume yet to be harvested in the United States, will remain low for another year.

"Where's the emergency exit?" a major soybean producer from the North asked yesterday, facing high freight costs to transport his grain to the port. Added to this is a problem shared by other sectors: the labor litigation industry , which has reached alarming proportions and is threatening employment.

Curiously, these misfortunes aren't evident in the exhibition featuring traditional livestock breeds that express the genetic potential that has made Argentina shine worldwide. This time, other newly arrived breeds are also present, such as the Canadian Speckle Park, renowned for its premium meat and docile temperament.

The cattle aren't the only attraction at the show. The Central, as the Rural Pavilion inaugurated in 1910 for the centennial of the May Revolution and which houses the restaurant, is a silent witness to the establishment's encounters with politics.

Former presidential advisor Demian Reidel, a physicist from Balseiro University, was seen continuing the nuclear plan. He presented the advantages of a small reactor to British and Argentine diplomats. At that lively table, they decided to name it Atoms for Peace, almost a tribute to the La Paz cabin owned by the Werthein family, who were their hosts.

This Saturday is the official ceremony, and in what is an effort by the organizers , no surprises are expected that would displease the President, even though Vice President Victoria Villarruel, who Milei has insulted as a "traitor," is in the official box.

According to reports, the speeches by the President and Nicolás Pino, which were given before the parade of the great champions, will have a common denominator: an invitation to look ahead .