The rejection of the purchase operation of three meat processing plants Marfrig in Uruguay by the company—also Brazilian— Minerva continues to gather support among agricultural producers, a few days after the Commission for the Promotion and Defense of Competition (Coprodec) of the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) communicate a decision on whether or not to endorse the transaction.
Concern about the concentration of the Uruguayan work in the hands of the Brazilian company arose as soon as the news about the important regional operation it is carrying out became known. Minerva Foods and which, in the country, involves the acquisition of three Marfrig refrigerators: Colonia, La Caballada of Leap and Inaler of Saint Joseph. This will make the company, which already has four plants in Uruguay—PUL, Carrasco, Canelones and BPU— managed to control 45% of the local refrigeration sector.
In this sense, a group of rural producers have been gathering signatures through the platform Change.org, with a petition called “The imminent threat of Minerva Foods and the need to protect our sector.” Since December 19, when the request was opened, the request has reached 2,534 signatures.
The objective is to achieve between 3,000 and 4,000 adhesions to take them along with a letter to the president Luis Lacalle Pouwith the intention that he actively intervene in the controversy, beyond what Coprodec decides – although the president has already announced that the definition will be merely technical and not political.
According to the former senator Francisco Gallinal, The producers’ idea arose in mid-December, motivated by how little or nothing was said about the matter, despite the fact that the Coprodec deadline for issuing it was advancing. As he explained to El Observador, it began in the area of Colorado Hill, in Florida, but it quickly expanded and has already received support throughout the country.
The collection of signatures, in that sense, seeks to leave testimony of the opinion of many producers on the subject. An opinion that, for example, is shared by the Rural Federation and the Rural Association of Uruguay (ARU)who have presented technical works rejecting the Minerva-Marfrig operation in front of the body that is responsible for endorsing it or not.
“We are very satisfied with the response and because this took off in the media,” he said. Furthermore, he added that, thanks to the initiative, “there were important actors who spoke, people who are in decision-making positions and that is extremely important.” Regarding the criticism, he emphasized that “what we want is for the free market rules”.
The delivery of the letter and the signatures, on a date to be confirmed, aims to “say well, here it is, we want to leave testimony that we care about the matter, that at least this time we did not react badly and late because we were worried in our things, I think that now we are expressing ourselves on time,” Gallinal concluded.
Critical voices that add up
The criticism and rejection of the impact that the acquisition of Marfrig refrigerators by Minerva Regarding the concentration of work, they overcome political-partisan barriers and, for example, both the mayor of cannelloni —and pre-candidate Frente Amplio—, Yamandú Orsi, like the nationalist senator Sebastian Da Silvaspoke out against the operation.
Another who spoke on the matter was the former president Jose Mujica, who told the newspaper that “it is convenient for the livestock sector and producers that there is a certain margin of competition between different interests.”
“Contrary to what people believe, the vast majority of small producers are calf producers who do not have the resources to speculate. If we kill that incipient seed, we end up harming ourselves globally in the livestock phenomenon,” he said. For Mujica, The meat chain could be even more expensive if “it becomes a purchasing monopoly.”
Regarding the definition of Coprodec, the former president assured that, beyond the technical decision made by the organization —and contrary to what was expressed by Lacalle Pou—, “in the end there is a political decision”. “Orsi was very good in saying it so that the president does not feel that we are going to beat him up if he comes out with a defense” of the industry. “You can disagree on many things, but sometimes you can also agree,” he added.
Source: Ambito
