Argentine govt pushes plan to optimize land productivity and quality‏

The Argentine government prepares a stimulus program with the goal of optimizing the quality and productivity in the country, especially in the region called "Humid Pampas". "The Secretariats of Agriculture and Mining have a program of supply for the field, with minerals aimed to optimize the soil quality improving its pH through a remineralization", affirms the Secretary of Mining, Jorge Mayoral.

"The soil is not a inexhaustible resource, and when it is used for agriculture there is a loss of macro and micro nutrients, which are minerals. Therefore, we have to develop these elements so that the yields remain and improved", affirmed the government official.

He explained that this system was structured because there is a need that Argentina "produces more, with more quality, and there are more exports, more entrances of foreign exchanges - forming a virtuous circle. In order to do so, we are working with different areas of the government in this plan".

With this goal, Mayoral held a meeting with his colleague at the Agriculture secretariat, Roberto Delgado. Also were present at the event the directors of the Association of Metallurgical Industrials of Argentina Gerardo Venutolo and Juan Carlos Lascurain, and a member of the Chamber of Manufacturers of Agricultural Machinery Carlos Catellani.

After the meeting, the Secretary of Mining said is that "in order to advance, there is the need of more technology, equipment, and agricultural machinery designed specifically for these ends". Delgado reminded that Argentina will produce 108 million tons of grains in 2014, and "each exported ship (equivalent to 25 million tons of cereals on average), four million tons of minerals are lost, among them macro and micro nutrients".

The plan of soil remineralization will use natural carbonates and industrialized carbonates: imestone (calcium carbonate) and dolomite (calcium and magnesium carbonates), both which Argentina has at enough quantities. These nutrients can be supplied by farmers of provinces like Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Neuquén, and San Juan, among others.

In Argentina there are at least 22 million hectares (in the Humid Pampas zone) in which would have to correct the pH soil with the right applications of remineralization, according to projections authored by the Ministry of Agriculture.

To have a range of one pH point at the soil per hectare, it is necessary to apply of two tons of carbonates, ranging up to four million tons. Accounting the average of these two extremes, there will be a need to apply 66 million tons of carbonates only over the 22 million hectares of the Humid Pampas.

"We are replacing the imports of chemical inputs that are used in the field, with the resulting reduction of the dollars output. We are applying minerals on the soils, not agrochemicals, what enables a lower cost", sustained Mayoral.