Bolivia: Government suspends meat exports to regulate prices in the domestic market
"We have decided as a national government not to authorize beef exports until the supply is regularized and the price is reduced in the local market for the benefit of the Bolivian people", the Minister of Productive Development and Plural Economy, Néstor Huanca, announced to the media.
The minister pointed out that until this happens, Luis Arce's government will not issue the "certificates of domestic supply at a fair price" that are a requirement for meat producers to be able to export the food.
The suspension of exports is intended to protect "the economy of Bolivian families" and guarantee "access at a fair price", he said.
The official justified that an increase in the cost of food has been observed in the domestic market and mentioned as an example that in the markets of La Paz the kilo of some cuts of beef is sold for 60 bolivianos.
Huanca blamed the cattle ranchers for the increase because, he said, they are "the first link in the chain of the sector" and are the ones who determine "up to 69% of the cost of production of live cattle".
According to the authorities, last year a bull cost around 2,100 bolivianos and currently these animals are sold for up to 4,300 bolivianos.
"That is to say that in one year the price has increased by more than 100%, when the productive inputs used for raising livestock have basically not suffered increases of more than 20%", he said.
In addition to suspending exports, the Ministry of Defense will intensify controls to prevent livestock and meat from being sent abroad "illegally", he added.
The government plans to hold a "technical" meeting with cattle ranchers and exporters in Santa Cruz, where "the supply of beef at a fair price for the Bolivian population will be analyzed", according to Huanca.
Producers, especially from Santa Cruz, have protested several times against the export restriction measures imposed during the government of Evo Morales (2006-2019) and which are now being repeated by the Arce government with the argument of first guaranteeing domestic supply at fair prices.
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