Buenos Aires - Argentina's agricultural producers on Friday began a six-day strike seeking changes in government policy towards the sector.

Farmers held assemblies by the side of roads in several areas around the country, as they stopped delivering cereal crops for export and cattle for domestic and foreign consumption.

Farmers' federations called for the latest strike based on the difficult situation following a severe drought, the fall in the price of their produce in international markets and what they see as the lack of a suitable policy for the sector on the part of the centre- left government.

"All of us are Argentina," Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner complained. "That is why no single sector can hold the rest of society hostage, least of all at times like these."

Agriculture is one of the engines of the Argentine economy, and earlier this year its leaders managed to block - through four months of protests - a government bill to increase tariffs on the export of soybean and sunflower seeds.

While in previous strikes farmers explicitly demanded and got the government to reduce tariffs on their export products, this time, they have not clearly stated their demands - only that they want to work out a new policy for the sector alongside the government.

"We are going to show that the countryside is mobilized and ready to keep going forward with its demands for its rights. We want policies to change, and whenever we talk to (Agriculture Minister Carlos Cheppi) he tells us he is evaluating the matter. He cannot keep delaying solutions," said farmers' leader Mario Llambias.

"If they had invited us to engage in dialogue and we had been able to make progress we would not be by the roadside now," small farmers' leader Eduardo Buzzi agreed.

He complained that the government "looks to the countryside to take money, it does not solve problems."

Earlier this year, the farmers' protest had the support of a growing anti-government coalition that was not farm-based.

Experts say the current drought is the worst in 100 years in Argentina, and it has been affecting the central and northern parts of the country for six months, despite recent rains.

The series of strikes started in March, when the government raised tariffs on agricultural exports. The farmers' protest led to severe shortages in urban centres and caused a serious political crisis for the government.

The executive eventually agreed to have Congress decide on the proposed tariffs, and the proposal failed due to the surprising vote against of Vice President Julio Cobos in the Senate. (dpa)