The project contemplates the creation of the Institute for the Promotion of the Growth and Strengthening of Lemon.
The Economy and Production Commission of the Honorable Legislature gave its opinion to the Executive Branch project that declares the sustainable production of lemon and its derivatives of provincial public interest. In its second chapter, the project contemplates the creation of the Institute for the Promotion of the Growth and Strengthening of Lemon in the Province of Tucumán.
Along with the president of the Commission, Leopoldo Rodríguez, legislators Roberto Moreno, Agustín Romano Norri, Rolando Alfaro, Marcelo Herrera, Alberto Olea, Nancy Bulacio, José Seleme and Manuel Courel were present.
Last week, the government’s initiative Osvaldo Jaldo It had generated rapid and diverse positions in the local productive arc, to the point that it had to be put on hold. However, this morning he gained momentum again (albeit in a moderate tone). “Although this scrapped version of the first law removed everything that generated controversy, I insist on the need to discuss creative solutions to promote the industry,” Courel judges.
“We have issued an opinion on this project that was sent by the Executive, at the request of ACNOA, which is the creation of the IFL, of the Institute for the Promotion of the Growth and Strengthening of Lemon. The Commission has been working on it since it entered , some modifications have been made and today the opinion was approved by majority,” Rodríguez said.
In this sense, the parliamentarian highlighted that this ruling seeks to provide greater tools to the Executive Branch to “protect the sector.” “This institute, for the most part, will be made up of primary and industrial producers,” he remarked.
“The governor, Osvaldo Jaldo, in response to this request, understood that the provincial government had to take action. He did so immediately, taking into account that the harvest was beginning. At the time, the vice-governor, Miguel Acevedo, had the opening when This project came to the Chamber to listen to the sector,” he said.
Among the modifications that were made, Rodríguez reported: “The fee was eliminated. It is the Executive Branch of the Province that is going to finance the operation of this institute, so this does not generate any type of costs for the activity.” In addition, he clarified that the institute is only for statistics and will have the objective of collecting information for producers.
9
“Tucumán is number one in lemon products, with 60% of the world market. And it is one of the largest producers in the world. But it is losing competitiveness compared to other countries, such as South Africa, due to the oversupply and the consequent drop in price. “What we have to do, as a State, is promote the activity, not regulate it,” said radical legislator Manuel Courel.
According to Courel, in this context of oversupply it would be advisable to reconvert the industry, first of all. “For example, we would have to generate credits for the conversion of lemon into oranges; even with factories that can process them. Citric is from Tucumán and is a successful example. On the other hand, we must support small producers so that they are not forced to sell their products poorly. And third, the great challenge is how we lower the Tucumán cost of production; “We are far from the ports, with routes that are a disaster and with railways that cannot cope.”
The problem of the first project
The controversy surrounding the first version of the bill revolved around an article that established a prohibition on selling products without the approval of the bill and another article that established a fee that businessmen had to pay to support the institute. “Now, they gave practically decorative functions to this Institute, such as preparing statistics and issuing binding recommendations,” continues the parliamentarian.
This morning, the Economy and Production Commission of the Legislature issued an opinion regarding the Bill of the Executive Branch through which the sustainable production of lemon and its derivatives is declared of provincial public interest and by virtue of this the Institute is created Promotion of Lemon (IFL). “What Tucumán needs, both for the citrus industry and for its economy in general, is more freedom and less tax burden,” Courel concludes.
