The Secretary of Deregulation and State Transformation, Alejandro Cacace, has reignited the debate on intellectual property in seeds by warning that the lack of an effective system to protect innovation is impacting Argentine agricultural productivity, especially in soybeans. On social media, the official pointed out that over the last twenty years, the average soybean yield in Argentina has remained virtually stagnant at 2.7 tons per hectare, while in Brazil it increased from 2.8 to 3.4 tons, accompanied by a strong expansion of the planted area. According to him, part of this gap is explained by the lower incorporation of genetics and varietal development in the country. Cacace used the number of new registered varieties as an indicator: in 2023, Brazil recorded 337, compared to only 32 in Argentina, which would reflect a lower dynamism in local innovation development. The official also compared the situation of soybeans with that of corn. In that crop, he explained, the Argentine yield grew by 54% in the same period, driven by the use of hybrid seeds, which require purchasing new seeds each season and allow the breeder to automatically capture the value of the innovation. In contrast, soy is a self-pollinating crop that allows the producer to save seeds for future seasons. According to Cacace, this is reflected in an annual growth rate of soybean yield in Argentina of 0.6%, about half of that recorded in the United States, at 1.1%. The official also mentioned the case of cotton to downplay explanations based solely on tax pressure: despite historically lower withholdings—and even their recent elimination—Argentina yields are close to 700 kilograms of fiber per hectare, while Brazil exceeds 1,500 kilograms. According to what the Argentine News Agency could find out, the statements are framed within the debate on updating the regulatory framework for seeds and the possible adherence of Argentina to the UPOV 91 convention, a historical claim from sector companies seeking to strengthen the protection of intellectual property over new varieties. From the Government, they maintain that a system that guarantees payment for the use of seeds is not a benefit for companies, but a necessary condition to sustain local genetic improvement, increase productivity, and enhance the competitiveness of the Argentine agro. Without an effective intellectual property protection system, the developer only perceives income from the first sale, which reduces incentives to invest in local genetics.
