"Alabama farmers and cattle producers can learn a lot from their Argentine counterparts," says Dr. Diego Gimenez, an Extension animal scientist who is arranging another tour in November. "They have good soils as well as world-class production technology raising cattle and growing cotton, corn and soybeans."

In addition, the majority of the farms and ranches in Argentina are huge compared to farm size in Alabama, says Gimenez, and they are operated very efficiently, he adds.

What they currently lack, Gimenez says, is a stable monetary system.

In normal years, Argentina exports about 60 percent of its agricultural production, mostly to Europe. However, with a currently weak peso compared to the U.S. dollar, they expect a higher-than-normal demand for their exports, says Gimenez.

The next Argentine study tour is planned for November 2002, which will be summer in Argentina.

Anyone interested in taking part in in this study tour should contact Auburn University’s Office of International Agriculture at 334-844-3205 for more details.