In response, angry farmers blocked roads to stop farm goods reaching markets, a measure that caused shortages of beef and dairy products and led to empty shelves in supermarkets in Buenos Aires.

 

A truce was agreed in early April, after many farmers said they needed time to harvest their soya beans crop.

 

The government defended the take hikes as a way to redistribute money reaped from soaring global food prices and keep down the cost of staple foodstuffs in a country where about one quarter of the population lives in poverty.

Last month, Martin Lousteau, the Argentine economy minister, resigned after less than five months in the position over the crisis.