Good news: less bureaucracy in the agri-industrial chain

Resolution No. 21-E/2017 created the Single Registry of Agro-Industrial Chain Operators (RUCA), regulating the registration and enrolment requirements and other formalities that human and/or legal persons must comply with when obtaining authorization to carry out marketing and/or industrialization activities of agricultural products.

The regulation also provides for the inspection and control powers of the National Agricultural Trade Control Agency of the Bioeconomy Secretariat of the Ministry of Economy.

Through the new resolution, the measures contained in Resolution 21/2017 are implemented and others are repealed. These changes are based on compliance with the objectives of Legislative Decree 70/23 (PEN) on the elimination of national barriers and restrictions that hinder or impede the normal development of trade.

In this regard, the need to cancel the registration of exporters and importers and facilitate foreign trade operations has become prominent. Considering the existence of other registration agencies with information exchange functions, it is also considered to improve the system control of the National Agricultural Trade Control Agency, strengthen the inspection capacity, and reduce the documentation burden as much as possible.

Based on the above, it was concluded that there was a need to redesign the registration and enrolment processes for different RUCA activities.

The new regulations will take effect from the date of publication, that is, from June 11, 2024.

Summary of Changes

The new standard abolishes the points and sections detailed in the attached annex, as detailed below.

Chapter 3: Cereals, their products, by-products and/or derivatives

Major changes:

• 3.6.3:
• Before: Required to report bank accounts, transactions and credit lines for the past six months

Financing.

• Now: This requirement has been removed. It is no longer necessary to provide this information.
• 3.6.4:

• Before: Introduce the expected work plan for next year.
• Now: This requirement has been removed. Submission of the above plan is not required.
• 3.6.5:

• Before: Details of personnel related to dependents and insurance companies.
• Now: This requirement has been removed. Providing this information is no longer required.
• 3.6.6:

• Before: Submission of the latest certified financial statements for legal entities and declaration of assets for human entities.
• Now: This requirement has been removed. Submission of financial statements is no longer required.
• 3.6.7:

• Before: Certificate of foreign exchange income of the exporter in the previous year.
• Now: This requirement has been removed. This verification is no longer required.
• 3.6.8:

• Before: If the exporter has its own organization registered with RUCA, it can be exempted from the previous requirements.
• Now: This has been removed.

Other points that were abolished:

• 12: Definition and regulations of raw cotton collector.
• 13: Definition and regulations of spinning.
• 14: Definition and regulations of weaving.
• 31: Definition and regulation of futures and options markets.
• 34: Definition and regulation of food laboratories.
• 35: Definitions and provisions for expert classifiers for cereals, oilseeds and pulses.
• 41: Definition and regulations for public use terminal elevators.

Chapter 4: Livestock and meat trade and/or industrialization

Major changes:

• 4.4:
• Previously: Definition and Regulation of Free Range Cattle Fattening Operations (Feedlots).
• Now: This has been removed.
• 4.10:

• Previously: Definition and Regulation of Meat Consignees.
• Now: This has been removed.
• 4.11:

• Before: Meat consignees were defined and supervised via an image projection system.
• Now: This has been removed.
• 4.13.2:

• Before: Required to report bank accounts, changes in the past six months and financing amounts.
• Now: This requirement has been removed. It is no longer necessary to provide this information.
• 4.13.3:

• Before: Introduce the expected work plan for next year.
• Now: This requirement has been removed. Submission of the above plan is not required.
• 4.13.4:

• Before: Details of personnel related to dependents and insurance companies.
• Now: This requirement has been removed. Providing this information is no longer required.
• 4.13.5:

• Before: Submit the latest certified financial statements for legal entities and declaration of assets for human entities.
• Now: This requirement has been removed. Submission of financial statements is no longer required.
• 4.13.6:

• Before: Certificate of foreign exchange income of the exporter in the previous year.
• Now: This requirement has been removed. This verification is no longer required.
• 4.13.7:

• Before: Joint liability of registered business owners who provide export services to third parties.
• Now: This has been removed.
• 4.13.8:

• Before: If the exporter has its own organization registered with RUCA, it can be exempted from the previous requirements.
• Now: This has been removed.

Other points that were abolished:

• 14: Definition and regulation of livestock and meat importers.
• 19: Definition and regulations of sausage factories.
• 20: Definition and regulations of meat and cured product factories.
• 22: Definitions and regulations for the tanning and storage of fresh or salted leather.
• 23: Definition and regulation of grasería/sebería.
• 24: Definition and regulations of meat concentration places.
• 25: Definition and specification of image projection sales venues.
• 27: Definition and regulation of slaughterhouses.
• 28: Definition and provisions of consignee of poultry meat.

Chapter 5: Dairy Markets, Products, By-products and/or Derivatives

Major changes:

o Before: Definition and regulation of raw milk pools.

o Now: The point has been deleted.

o Before: Definition and regulation of raw milk consignees.

o Now: The point has been deleted.

o Before: Definition and regulation of cooling equipment and classification of raw milk.

o Now: The point has been deleted.

o Before: Definition and regulation of dairy exporters.

o Now: The point has been deleted.

o Before: Requirement to register with the General Directorate of Importers and Exporters

customs.

o Now: This requirement has been removed.

o Before: Required to report bank accounts, transactions and credit lines for the past six months

Financing.

o Now: This requirement has been eliminated. You do not need to provide this information.

o Before: Present the projected work plan for the next year.

o Now: This requirement has been eliminated. Submission of the above plans is no longer required.

o Before: Details of personnel associated with dependants and insurance companies.

o Now: This requirement has been eliminated. You are not required to provide this information.

o Before: Submit the latest certified financial statements and financial statements of the legal entity

Goods for humanity.

o Now: This requirement has been eliminated. Financial statements are no longer required.

o Before: Proof of foreign exchange earnings of the exporter in the previous year.

o Now: This requirement has been removed. This verification is no longer required.

o Before: If the exporter has its own registration organization, the above requirement is waived

In RUCA.

o Now: Due to previous issues, this has been eliminated. –

Other points that were abolished:

• 5: Definition and regulation of dairy product importers.
• 6: Definition and regulations of factory rollers/semi-processed rollers.
• 9: Definition and Regulation of Private Label Marketers.

In summary

This regulatory change will certainly be welcomed by the operators involved. Its purpose is laudable: to deregulate agricultural commercial and industrial activities by eliminating duplicate record keeping and controls.

It should be noted that many of these controls are already implemented by other organizations (such as SENASA). Others are too complex for sectors composed of small marketers, such as the case of butcher shops.

In other words, the standard will remove marketing barriers and bring greater certainty to grain, livestock, meat and dairy product operators, which will be conducive to the development of their industrial and commercial activities.

In any case, it is recommended that a detailed review of the modifications made be undertaken so that each relevant department reviews its practices and fully complies with the new current regulations.

（1) Tax Expert (UBA.) Tax Advisor.

(2) Public Accountant – Member of STUDIO CIANCAGLINI – Expert in agricultural issues.