posted by
Lotte from
BRMB :
A rough translation of a
Diario Hoy article:
Princess Máxima congratulated Argentinean potato producers, members of a cooperative.
The Princess arrived on Sunday at 16.45 to the capital city of Jujuy province, where she was welcomed by the Minister of Economy, Miguel Rioja, and around 300 locals, mostly women and children. She then travelled to Maimará (3,000 inhabitants) where she was received by Javier Rodríguez, CauQueVa cooperative's coordinator, Edmundo Chuychuy, its president, and around 200 people at the town's old rail station. Also took part in this meeting Máxima's personal secretary, Yvette Van Eechoud and representatives of three banks: Marilou van Goldstein (Triodos Bank), Diederik Laman Trip (ING Bank) and Arnold Kuijpers (RaboBank).
Máxima asked technical questions related to microcredit and expressed interest in production levels, slowness, impact of credit in production and interest rates. During the meeting, the Princess acted as an interpreter of Dutch and English to the bankers accompanying her. They were offered tea and biscuits.
When, upon leaving, she was offered a basket with many varieties of Andean potatoes, which are cultivaded in very high altitudes with low humidity, she asked with a smile for recipes.
She further went to San Pedrito to meet with the cooperative's credit committee at the home of Delia Silvera, where she was welcomed by locals playing typical instruments. Upon arriving at the dwelling, the Princess passed by a lettuce field and warned the photographers "not to step on the plantation." Silvera offered her a leather belt and a small flower bouquet.
Máxima again asked how producers get access to credit. Many of them are illiterate and unable to fill out a credit form. She also asked them what their wishes are and they asnwered they need adapted tools in order to have better products and export them. When the Princess asked whether they would like to have a savings bank they said "yes", but also expressed their fears. They added that they don't think about their own future, but about that of their children and grandchildren.
The princess waved very warmly to locals and let herself be photographed with them everywhere she went. However, she hasn't had contact yet with the 20 Argentinean and 12 Dutch journalits that follow her.