Night-Time Raiders Are Destroying $100,000 Soy Bags in Argentina
- Companies are now pioneering bag alarms to fend off intruders
- Vandalism spike raises tensions between government and farmers
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Two-hundred-feet long, several-feet high and packed tight with freshly harvested soybeans, the silobags that dot the Argentine Pampas this time of year are worth a hefty sum -- almost $100,000 a piece at today’s prices.
So when vandals began sneaking onto farms in the dead of the night and taking knives to the bags, exposing the contents to moisture and rendering them worthless, it got farmers’ attention. These sorts of incidents date back years, they say, but never at a clip like this. The attacks have come in rapid-fire succession in recent months, bringing the total for the year to over 150, according to industry groups.