Former goalkeeper Roberto "El Pato" Abbondanzieri visited Expoagro last week, the prominent Argentine agricultural sector exhibition held in San Nicolás.
Since his childhood, Abbondanzieri has been passionate about the countryside. For example, his father had ties with a family of contractors and, over time, as he established his career as a professional player, he began acquiring land near his hometown, Bouquet, in the province of Santa Fe.
Three years ago, he decided to take a further step in his relationship with agriculture and became a rural contractor after purchasing a harvester.
"I think we're going to have a great 2025. The numbers have settled a bit as expected. Logically, costs remain high, but we're on the right track," the former player expressed about the current state of the sector.
Javier Milei, presidente de Argentina.
"The important thing is that, at least in the area where I work (central-southern Santa Fe), production will be good, and that benefits not only us but also the country," added the Boca idol, who was present at the Case IH stand.
Abbondanzieri also addressed a key issue for the agricultural sector: export taxes. "There have been improvements, but some aspects still need adjustment. The price of grains remains low in pesos, and that can cause difficulties when acquiring machinery like harvesters or agricultural tools, as they have a high value in dollars," he noted. However, he highlighted that "these are details" within the overall picture.
"When the goal of adjusting the numbers in the agricultural sector can be achieved, Argentina will continue to rise in the best way," Abbondanzieri stated.
His opinion on Milei's Government
Regarding the administration of President Javier Milei, the former goalkeeper, who is rumored to be a national deputy candidate for La Libertad Avanza in Santa Fe, gave a positive analysis. "It's going well, in the sense that one does the numbers and they're there, but he'll surely have to keep refining them," he noted.
Javier Milei y Roberto "El Pato" Abbondanzieri.
From his experience in the sector, Abbondanzieri emphasized the importance of agriculture for the country. "Since I've been working in the field, I consider that agriculture is a very good path for the country, not only in terms of crops but also livestock. The little engine of Argentina is agriculture, and there's a view from the president toward agriculture that is good," he remarked.
With optimism, he anticipated that "we're going to have a great 2025, not only in harvest but as a country. It's what one hopes for and what one can see at this moment," he expressed.
Finally, he referred to his connection with Milei, recalling the warm embrace they shared at the last edition of Agroactiva, last June.
"I'm not friends with the President, I only crossed paths with him once. I think he's doing his best for Argentina to keep improving," he concluded.
