“Without argument”: the anger of an official displaced by Minister Basterra

A displaced official from the Nation’s Agriculture Ministry, headed by Luis Basterra, said he was removed from his post “without argument” and “inexplicably”.

This is Marcelo Rossi, who had been the agency’s national director of agricultural commercial control. It is a key agency because it intervenes in the supervision of the sector and from there the Unique Register of Agro-industrial Chain Operators (RUCA) is managed. Being a member of RUCA is an essential condition to be able to operate both on the internal and external market and in case of violation, Agriculture can dismiss the operator.

Rossi had been there since 2016, when, under the Macri government, he became Agribusiness Minister Ricardo Buryaile. Previously, he had worked between 2000 and 2007 with the governments of Fernando de la Rúa and Néstor Kirchner when the agency was called the National Office for Agricultural Commercial Control (Oncca).

Rossi stepped down in March 2007 amid a confrontation with former Commerce Secretary Guillermo Moreno, who wanted to control a pay policy for agricultural companies.

When Rossi left, a cycle of strong intervention occurred in the exOncca and this portfolio was subsequently embroiled in a scandal for giving grants to trout companies. To erase all traces, Kirchnerism ended up dissolving the exOncca and creating another entity called the Internal Consumer Subsidies Assessment and Coordination Unit (Ucesci).

“Inexplicable in this way and without argument”, Rossi wrote on Twitter about his resignation. Then he added: “The Minister didn’t even tell me about it, he told me to tell me.” According to reports, Rossi was briefed on Basterra’s decision by a second-line official.

Rossi pointed out on Twitter that for 12 years in the organization in the various stages (2000-2007 and 2016-2021), he “without a single complaint.” In this context, on the social network, he remarked: “At least an explanation was justified”.

Among other efforts, with the former Secretary of Agriculture of the Nation, Miguel Campos, Rossi succeeded in lowering the judicialization of the distribution of the Hilton quota – the high commercial value quota of 29,500 tonnes destined for Europe – for presentations made by various refrigerators.

Strictly speaking, in 2005/2006, 56% of the Hilton quota was distributed by judges who accepted applications from companies in the sector. Rossi immediately succeeded in reducing the lawsuits to less than 700 tonnes.

With Macri, he had other advances. He pioneered the black box system to control slaughter and evasion in meat processing plants and did the same with the flour milling sector, among other activities.

Organize

Last year, its national leadership added requirements for operators wishing to remain in the RUCA. So, for example, the obligation to pay currency was added. It should be recalled that the Central Bank informed Agriculture that the grain company Díaz & Forti, which operated a factory in Vicentin, owed it $ 450 million in foreign exchange and that Rossi proceeded to its suspension from RUCA.

A few weeks ago, in the meantime, it was added as a requirement for RUCA to comply with the standards, awards or condemnations of the organizations responsible for domestic consumption. This is a direct allusion to the Ministry of Internal Trade.

Indeed, if the portfolio headed by Paula Español informs Agriculture that a company has not complied with something related to consumption, in the Agriculture Act, it could be removed from RUCA. Some sources interpret that this could be explored further from now on.

Rossi will be replaced in his duties by Luciano Zarich, former national director of registrations and supervision and last year one of the auditors with Gabriel Delgado appointed by President Alberto Fernández for his Vicentin control plan.

On Twitter, Rossi received messages of support for his leadership, including from former secretary Campos. “@ marcelorossi52 a luxury of civil servant …. an example of # Ser ServadorPublico! With his departure from ONCCA Argentina loses. But sincerely I am happy for him. Thank you very much for all your dedication, always !!”, Remarked Campos.

In addition to removing Rossi, Basterra replaced his second, Julián Echazarreta, who was secretary of agriculture. He will now be in his place Jorge Solmi, former vice-president of the Agrarian Federation, former provincial deputy of Buenos Aires and man linked to Sergio Massa, president of the Chamber of Deputies. Echazarreta, transcended, left for strictly personal reasons.

In accordance with the criteria of

More information

IN ADDITION