The acquisition by the Brazilian Minerva Foods three floors from the also Brazilian Marfrig in Uruguaywhich occurs as part of a regional operation, keeps agriculture on alert when there is little time left to know the decision of Defense of Competition.
If the operation is approved, 45% of the local work will remain in the hands of a foreign company, which worries Uruguayan ranchers not only because of the productive disadvantage but also because of the issue of price creation.
The topic, which has focused the discussion on the main economic sector of the Uruguay, is no stranger to politics. On the contrary, he passes through it.
On Thursday, the president Luis Lacalle Pou He broke the silence to make his position clear, when the petition from ranchers against the purchase added more and more signatures.
What did the president say about Minerva-Marfrig?
“I understand the point of view of those who sign the letter. There is a business on which Competition Defense must be issued. We’ll see what he says. “It is a totally independent body that does not receive directives,” he clarified. Luis Lacalle Pou when consulted by the press during the Soriano poultry fair.
“If it says black, it clearly is black. I’m not going to say this is white. If your opinion is a gray area, there will be some discretion from the government,” he stressed. “I have my opinion about the concentration (of the slaughter market), but it is not appropriate to give it when there is a State agency making an evaluation,” concluded the President of the Republic.
What do the MGAP and other political actors think?
He Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries (MGAP) has supported concern about the concentration of Uruguayan work in the hands of foreign companies. However, he has always been in favor of letting the team’s technicians act. Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), which evaluate the issue through the Defense of Competition.
In his latest statement on Minerva-Marfrig, the minister Fernando Mattos He wanted “a quick resolution because it has reached a public level and level of concern and that would clear up a few decisions for those involved as well as for the sectors that are in the chain.”
During an interview with Ambit In December, he assured that “the difficult thing is to find the balance.” “We must respect all the rules depending on the Uruguay It goes out into the world to ask for investments to come, therefore, there should not be any type of influence that determines that there is a change in the rules. In the end, the best resolution will be made,” he noted.
The Minerva-Marfrig operation even brought together antagonistic positions such as those of the presidential candidate of the Wide Front (FA), Yamandu Orsiand the white senator Sebastian da Silva.
“Despite the elections, this year the government has to make decisions. Avoiding the concentration of the refrigeration industry is one of them. 60% of the activity can remain in the hands of a single Brazilian owner. If the president decides to prevent it, I will not hesitate to support him,” said the mayor of cannelloni through
Regarding the definition of Competition Defense, the former president Jose Mujica He assured that, beyond the technical decision made by the organization, “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
