Argentina

Argentina's government offered small farmers a package of benefits Monday in an effort to end a 19-day strike triggered by new, higher taxes.

President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner's administration said it would give the farmers a rebate on the new export taxes on soy beans, sunflower seeds, and other grains.

The government also offered to subsidize the cost of transporting grain from farm to market.

President Fernandez has asked the farmers to lift the roadblocks they have constructed during the strike. The roadblocks have caused food shortages and blocked the export of agricultural products.

Farm leaders rejected the president's appeal and said the strike would continue at least through mid-week.

The strike began on March 13, two days after the government raised the agricultural export taxes in an effort to redistribute wealth to the poor and control domestic food prices.

Some information for this report was provided by Bloomberg  and Reuters.