Discursos de Gonzalo Ramírez Martiarena y Margarita Louis-Dreyfus

Next, we will hear the words of the global CEO of Louis Dreyfus Company, Mr. Gonzalo Ramírez Martearena, together with the chairperson of Louis Dreyfus Holding, Ms. Margarita Louis-Dreyfus. [Applause] Mr. President of the Nation, Mauricio Macri; Governor of the Province of Buenos Aires, María Eugenia Vidal; Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Ricardo Buryaile; Minister of Transport; Mayor of Bahía Blanca, Héctor Gayde; national, provincial, and local authorities present; Chairperson of Louis Dreyfus Holding, Margarita Louis-Dreyfus; representatives of the press; collaborators of Louis Dreyfus Company; friends. Before we begin, I have the honor of presenting the chairperson of Louis Dreyfus Holding, Ms. Margarita Louis-Dreyfus, who will dedicate a few brief words to us.

Thank you very much, Margarita. It is an honor to be here today, days after celebrating the bicentennial of Argentina's independence — 200 years of history of an independent country, of which we are proud to have been an active part for the last 130 years as a company. At the end of the 19th century, the Louis Dreyfus family arrived in Argentina at a time when our country was beginning to show all its potential. It was unknown to food consumers many kilometers away, but we had the first Dreyfus representatives who went out into the world to make us known. In 1885, Dreyfus loaded the second steamship at an old iron dock characteristic of this area of Ingeniero White, thus inaugurating grain exports from these lands to the world. That was the initial kick of what was called the 'granary of the world,' of which we are proud to have been protagonists from the beginning until today. We were not alone; other companies competed with us, and there was a rapid effervescence in originating cereals and exporting. For this, it was key to optimize logistics, reduce costs, provide the best service to clients, and take on complex commercial risks. That is exactly what we do today, seeking to improve each day in an endless process.

From there came an unprecedented impulse of development in Argentina's entire agricultural region and a productive revolution at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. From that moment, Argentina became a key player on the international stage in the worldwide commercialization of food, again marking enormous growth potential. Today we aim higher, and as we have heard on repeated occasions from Mr. President Macri, our country now aspires to be the 'supermarket of the world.' This is something Louis Dreyfus Company has been working on for many years, investing to add more and more value and Argentine labor to national food production. In that line, during recent years we have invested more than 450 million dollars in modern ports like this one we are inaugurating today and industrial plants, directly employing more than 1,750 people and thousands more indirectly, with the permanent conviction that despite everything, Argentina will continue growing in its agricultural production.

The fact of accompanying the efficient Argentine producer and selling them first-quality inputs at transparent prices, every day offering them the best logistics option, has made us a reliable partner from the moment they decide to sow until their production is delivered. Furthermore, we are committed to offering consumers in every corner of the planet food of the highest quality and safety produced in this country, the Argentine Republic. Today, Dreyfus processes grains in a way that maximizes all their potential. In Argentina, we manufacture soy flour, oil, biodiesel, lecithin, and glycerin. In this way, we broaden the demand for soy beyond all cereal exports. Mr. President, we know we have much to do in the country still, and a great effort must be made to reduce logistics costs in production coming from the north. There is a challenge the government has decided to take on through the Belgrano Plan, which we consider fundamental, and therefore we will support it through investment in the development of that railway, so that producers can reduce their costs. This will add to other investments we are carrying out in port infrastructure and industrial plants, with the goal of selling more Argentine labor to the world.

It is worth noting that the works we are inaugurating are the result of a long-term agreement with the company Maltería Pampa. This also demonstrates a constant search for synergies with other companies to avoid the useless multiplicity of efforts and thus be more efficient, consuming the least amount of energy per ton exported. From now on, this port will be able to export more than 2 million metric tons of cereals per year to various destinations around the world. Today, as always at Louis Dreyfus, we are proud to accompany Argentina and its people, and we will continue seeking innovative ways to keep creating value for the country. In closing, I would like to thank, on behalf of Dreyfus, the authorities for trusting us to continue adapting to the current and future needs of the country, adding value and generating direct and indirect employment in a chain as productive as agribusiness. To our neighbors in Ingeniero White, Bahía Blanca, and other nearby cities, because our collaborators and the essential services to operate come from there. To our collaborators, who did a formidable job in recent years to make this port complex something of first-class level. And as I usually say, our company is made great by its people, and those people are the collaborators who are here, and for whom I ask for a sincere round of applause.

Thank you very much to all who are present here, because if you are here, it is because in some way we have worked together to generate value and distribute it from Argentina to the world. Mr. President, I assure you there is a new Argentina on the move, and we want to keep showing the world everything we are capable of achieving together. Thank you very much. [Applause]