Benito Medero


Benito Medero was an Uruguayan politician.

Background

He was a 5th-generation cattle rancher in the Flores Department.
He was intendente and council member of Flores. And in 1967 was elected as a congressman of the national assembly.

Agricultural activities

In the 1950s he joined Alberto Gallinal, Carlos Frick and Carlos Pereira Iraola in the creation of the Sociedad de Praderas, an honorary association whose objective was to improve the productivity of Uruguay's natural grassland.
In the 1960s with the support of the World Bank he created and directed the Plan Agropecuario with the objective of improving the productivity of Uruguay's natural pastures using New Zealand technology. The program was very successful until 1972 when the UK joined the EEC and stopped buying Uruguayan beef, which caused prices to fall and the cost of new technology become unprofitable. This pioneer effort grew like wildfire, bringing new ideas and technology that had a profound impact in the following generation of agronomists and ranchers. It also had a long-term impact which helped the excellent export performance of the dairy and cattle industries 30 years later.
Today the New Zealanders are buying land in Uruguay, improving pastures, increasing dairy yields and export prices have doubled. The seed sown by Alberto Gallinal and his dicipules was not lost, the dream has become a reality.
In 1962–1964 he was the president of the Asociación Rural del Uruguay.

Minister of Agriculture under President Bordaberry

In 1972 he was designated Minister of Agriculture for the President Juan María Bordaberry,. As minister he built a dozen huge silos in areas that had none. Those silos created the critical mass for the development of agriculture and local farm cooperatives.

Death and legacy

Medero died in 2007; he received tribute as State Minister. His remains are buried at Trinidad Cemetery.
He is remembered mainly as a technocratic politician representing enduring agricultural interests which were so important to Uruguay historically.