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Bolivia's soy producers are carrying out a seven-point road blockade campaign to demand an end to price controls on their products used for animal feed. eldeber.com.bo/economia/con-siete-puntos-de-bloqueo-de-vias-soyeros-rechazan-banda-de-precios_221665
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The sponsors of the road blockades are the elite soy producer's association, ANAPO. Other agricultural, cattle producing orgs are taking sides along class lines: Marbán and Pailón ranchers back ANAPO. Small agriculturalists ODEPAO support dialogue w/ government.
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Soy production represents the largest share of Bolivian agriculture: 1,050,000 hectares cultivated in 2019-2020, 35 to 38% of all cropland in the country. notiboliviarural.com/agricola/anapo-estima-superficie-de-1-050-000-hectareas-de-soya-en-el-verano-2019-2020
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Soy flour and other soy products are also a vital animal feed. Producers want these prices to float w/ rising global prices, but the Arce government wants to control prices for domestic meat production.
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The Áñez government had ended price controls by decree, but Arce's socialist government is committed to them. clarin.com/agencias/efe-gobierno-boliviano-ratifica-control-precios-rechazado-agro_0_uxC6GVbOD9.html
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Earlier this month, producers conducted a 1,000-machine "tractorazo" displaying their ability to mobilize their costly means of production in support of their demands. lostiempos.com/actualidad/economia/20210212/tractorazo-productores-soya-rechazan-bandas-precios
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Price controls would only apply to ~20% of soy production destined for the domestic food supply, as part of the national government's food sovereignty policy. Export prices would float freely. lostiempos.com/actualidad/economia/20201215/gobierno-afirma-que-80-soya-queda-libre-su-exportacion