Argentina’s new Agriculture Secretary Carlos Cheppi reportedly took the oath of office yesterday (30 July), replacing Javier de Urquiza who has stood down as a result of the four-month long stand-off between the government of President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and protesting farmers due to proposed grain-export tax increases.
Mr Cheppi, an agronomist and researcher, was formerly the head of the Argentinean Agriculture Farming Technology Institute, INTA, and is said to have a good relation with the Kirchners and well as respect among farmers’ organisations.
In 2003, Mr Cheppi drafted the agriculture policy programme for then presidential hopeful Néstor Kirchner, and had been insistently named as a candidate for Agriculture Secretary.
Born in Mar de la Plata, Mr Cheppi helped to implement the agriculture technological agreement with Venezuela which included the sale of over US$100m in Argentinean farm equipment.
As an expert in direct sowing and soil conservation he has also acted as advisor in Mexico and South Africa.
