The ISSCT Congress Argentina 2019 is officially launched in San Martín Palace, Foreign Affairs Ministry
09-04-2019

"This meeting is framed within our devotion to be open to the world, something called by the Foreign Affairs Office "Intelligent Insertion": basically, it means being in every country, looking for a contact and seeking for business opportunities that may result attractive". With these words, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jorge Faurie, started his speech presiding the official launching of the XXX ISSCT Congress -the International Society of Sugar Cane Technologists- to be held in our country for the first time in history, from August 31 to September 8, 2019.

In the meeting room called Libertador, San Martín Palace, the audience involved members of the Organizing Committee; Juan Manzur, Governor of the province of Tucumán; Juan Carlos Abud Robles, Ministry of Economic Development and Production on behalf of Gerardo Morales, Governor of Jujuy; the Ministry of Production of Salta, Graciela Pinal de Cid; national officials and also representatives of the three provinces comprised in the Northwestern area of Argentina; Ambassadors and delegates from foreign offices and important delegates of Associations and companies related to sugar and energy industry as well. The auditorium was full and the audience learnt all the details about the event. Later, there was a pleasant moment to socialize, just when Juan Manuel Urtubey, the Governor of Salta province, joined the meeting.

Faurie was assertive when he expressed "the harvest and the use of sugar cane are deeply rooted in the history of Argentina, generating a lot of work along its productive chain. For that reason, the national Government together with the provinces of Tucumán, Salta and Jujuy are convening this joint initiative that is part of the intelligent initiative of our country in the world".

When Jorge Scandaliaris started his speech as Chairman of the Argentine Society of Sugar Cane Technicians (SATCA) and of the Congress Organizing Committee as well, he expressed his gratitude to the Ministry for his disposal to open the doors of he stunning facilities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship to carry out the central launching, since this fact has clearly shown the commitment of the national government to the initiative born in Northwest Argentina.

"With three centuries of history in Northwest Argentina, sugar cane is energy, it is labor force, it is research, it is tradition, it is landscape%6summing up, it is LIFE, because it has generated the first heavy industry of the country. As time passed and 110 years ago by now, an illustrious propeller of this crop created the Obispo Colombres Agroindustrial Experimental Station, while other developed countries were taking similar actions", Scandaliaris remarked.

During his presentation, he drew the attention of the audience with the following concept: "Sugar cane is not only sugar"; it is having a growing role worldwide, as a source of renewable energy". The high energy efficiency of sugar cane is getting steady at an international level as one of the most important alternatives to compensate the negative consequences of the increasing extraction of fossil fuels and therefore, to slow down the increase of factors generating climate change, generating at the same time, the development of bioenergy projects with an important economic and social growth in regions of the world affected by high unemployment rates.

"These two objectives are key for the future welfare of humanity. This XXX Congress may activate mechanisms to accelerate the process to use this biomass, to satisfy a permanently growing demand of energy", stated Scandaliaris.

In this sense, there was total agreement with the Ministry Faurie, who, after stating that "Argentina is working with other countries of the region on bioethanol production not only obtained from molasses, but also from sugar", and then he emphasized "the commitment and the permanent support of the Foreign Affairs Ministry in every negotiation in order to obtain larger access to markets in different countries for Argentine products".

The main activities of the Congress itself will comprise the presentation of over 400 research papers to be shown in five rooms simultaneously. Besides, plenary sessions will be held dealing with relevant topics for the future of this activity; remarkable international referents will participate, and there will also be an extraordinary exhibition where international and national companies will be able to showcase their machinery, equipment and technological developments.

The facilities of Sociedad Rural de Tucumán are being remodeled in order to provide the necessary conditions for this event with different activities to carry out -and for other future events as well. Apart from the five rooms for simultaneous sessions, the Trade Exhibition will have more than 150 stands in outdoor and indoor spaces. This fact requires an important organization to supply any basic resources during those days of hard work.

The Chairman of the Committee has also highlighted "the logistics and the economic support defined by the Governor of Tucuman, both of its majors in San Miguel de Tucumán and Yerba Buena, the National government and the directors of the industrial sector and of Sociedad Rural de Tucumán are focused to change this site of 8 hectares into a Convention Centre and thus, realize an outstanding Congress".

Governor Manzur also spoke to the audience and once again, he thanked the Foreign Affairs Office their kind attitude to work jointly with the provinces and stressed the exchange of "proposals and views forward, with the strategic purpose of generating an added value".

Today, Tucumán has over 300,000 hectares of sugar cane, implying more than 50,000 direct labor and many others indirect. Tucumán has diversified but the mother industry is still sugar cane. First, it was sugar, then it was paper and cardboard, now we have ethanol and energy cogeneration. In every stage, more value is added. Clean energy, renewable energy, a kind of energy that cares for the environment, considering all the effort made by the sector with investment.

During his speech, he pointed out an example intending to understand the extent of this issue: "Tucumán consumes, during peak time, 600, 650 MW -h of energy. If the 15 sugar factories in our province cogenerated all their production, we would be self-supplied. This could be possible only by cogenerating with the waste of sugar cane: this is the potential of Tucumán".

When he was asked about the expectations about Tucumán people as the Congress organizers, he made a smart association: "In Tucumán, we have wide experience in organizing congresses: long ago, in 1816, we were the venue of the Independence declaration Congress and then we became a free Nation; today, there is a second and historical Congress ahead, so once again, the province will be ready for this event. Everybody is invited to join us!

For further information about the Congress, visit our website www.issct-argentina2019.com  or mail us at contacto@issct-argentina2019.com

For general questions about the organization Ms. Isabel Antón, Congress Secretary, will answer questions at secretary@issct-argentina.com  or Mr. Guillermo Autino, Congress Coordinator at guillermo.autino@issct-argentina2019.com 

For questions related to sponsors or exhibitors, contact comercial@issct-argentina2019.com. Your requests will be answered by Mr. Fabián Moray and his commercial team.

In order to subscribe to our newsletters, or to contact the press, please send a mail to Mariana Luna prensa@issct-argentina2019.com 


Fonte: Assessoria de Imprensa ISSCT