Colón producers give municipality 20-day ultimatum over dire rural road conditions

Rural producers in Colón, located in northern Buenos Aires province, have escalated their demands for improved rural road conditions by issuing a 20-day ultimatum to the local municipality.

Following a recent assembly where over 70 producers resolved to formally address the issue, representatives from the local Rural Society and independent producers presented a letter to Mayor Waldemar Giordano and the Deliberative Council. The letter outlines a series of demands concerning the road maintenance tax and the upkeep of the rural road network.

Producers argue that the "grave and unsustainable situation" of the roads directly impacts production, connectivity, and the socioeconomic development of the entire rural community. They expressed deep concern over a "marked disproportion" between the tax burden imposed on producers and the "deficient or null" maintenance services, including grading, drainage, and general upkeep.

Key demands include an immediate reduction of the municipal road network maintenance tax to a uniform rate of $10,000 pesos per hectare per year until efficient service is provided. They also called for the elimination of progressive tax rates and criteria linked to farm productivity, which they deem "unconstitutional" and unrelated to the actual cost of service. The producers are urging the municipality to implement urgent measures for road repair and maintenance, suggesting options like partial or total service outsourcing or the creation of a management consortium.