Argentine farmers urge Milei to resume infra funding ahead of harvest

Argentine President Javier Milei is facing renewed pressure to release federal funds for infrastructure projects, this time from a representative of the agricultural sector concerned about the poor state of the country’s road network.

“We’re about to face a second harvest without investment in Argentina,” Lucas Magnano, head of agricultural confederation Coninagro, was cited as saying by daily Ámbito, referring to the lack of infrastructure investment since Milei took office in December 2023.

The harvest of two key Argentine export crops, soy and maize, will begin in March, and Coninagro plans to submit a formal request to economy minister Luis Caputo to reactivate logistics projects.

Cuts to infrastructure investment were reportedly the main factor behind the country’s fiscal surplus last year.

Since Milei was unable to pass a 2025 budget bill, he opted to extend the 2023 budget for a second consecutive year. While this move underscored his lack of congressional support, it also gave him greater flexibility in allocating resources.

“This puts economic and social planning at risk,” economist Celina Calore from the Scalabrini Ortiz center for economic and social studies (CESO), told BNamericas.

Provincial governors have also criticized Milei’s handling of national roads, with some requesting permission to take over their maintenance.

Calore said that by excluding provinces from financing decisions, Milei risks weakening Argentina’s federal administration and damaging its international standing in the long run.