The 138th International Livestock, Agriculture and Industry Exhibition – popularly known as La Rural de Palermo – reaches its closing day this Sunday, July 26, with three focuses of attention that concentrate the gaze of producers, leaders and political analysts: the presence of President Javier Milei at the closing ceremony, the expectation for new announcements on export rights and the possibility of a face-to-face meeting between the president and the Vice President Victoria Villarruel.

Under the slogan "The countryside unites us", the exhibition – which takes place between July 16 and 26 at the Palermo fairgrounds – coincides with the 160th anniversary of the Argentine Rural Society (SRA) and arrives with a record number of exhibitors, more than 2,580 animals registered and the debut of YPF as the main sponsor.

🖼️  See reference image: historical pavilion of the Argentine Rural Society in Palermo (Wikimedia Commons)  (Wikimedia Commons)

Milei will lead the official closing ceremony this Sunday at 11 a.m., in a different format than usual: the ceremony, which was traditionally held on the last Saturday of the exhibition, was moved due to agenda issues of the president, who on Saturday participated in a party activity in Brazil, where he was distinguished with the Order of Ipiranga and met with leaders of the Liberal Party.  among them Senator Flávio Bolsonaro.

The closing day will include, in addition to the presidential speech, activities open to the public such as the traditional carousel of military bands, an exhibition of Argentine Equestrian Art and a solidarity auction for the benefit of the Soldado Foundation. It will also be one of the few opportunities of the year in which the head of state shares the stage with the entire agricultural liaison table.

🖼️  See reference image: President Javier Milei (Wikimedia Commons)  (Wikimedia Commons)

The economic scenario is more favorable than in 2025: the government lowered withholdings during the year, soybeans reached values close to 450 dollars per ton and exports of meat and grains show an upward trend. Even so, the central demand of the sector remains the same: the total elimination of export duties (DEX), described by Milei as a "distorting" tax.

The Minister of Economy, Luis Caputo, announced this week that there will be no new reduction in withholdings in the short term – "the announcements have already been made," he said during his visit to the property – which moderated the expectations of the agricultural sector, more focused on issues such as financing and credit rates. The focus of the remaining demand is concentrated on meat, which still maintains a 5% rate on exports.

🔹 Since the beginning of his administration, the Government eliminated export duties for regional economies.

🔹 In 2026, the rates for wheat, barley and soybeans were reduced, and new staggered reductions were announced for sunflower oil towards 2028.

🔹 In Congress, projects are advancing from different blocs – United Provinces and Civic Coalition – for a gradual reduction of withholdings with a view to their total elimination.

The president of the SRA, Nicolás Pino, avoided anticipating possible announcements and remarked that any news will be communicated only in the official act itself, although he recalled that last year the President chose precisely that scenario to confirm a tax cut.

Beyond the agricultural agenda, the Rural Exhibition could become the scene of a new chapter of the political tension that runs through the presidential ticket this Sunday. Vice President Victoria Villarruel was formally invited by the SRA authorities to the central event, on the same day that Milei will attend, in the midst of a practically broken bond between the two leaders.

The eventual reunion comes after a new chapter of public differences: Villarruel had distanced himself from the government by claiming sovereignty over the Falkland Islands in the context of the controversy unleashed by a flag displayed during Argentina's semifinal against England in the FIFA World Cup. As of the closing of this note, the vice president had not officially confirmed her attendance and kept the details of her agenda confidential.

🖼️  See reference image: Vice President Victoria Villarruel (Wikimedia Commons)  (Wikimedia Commons)

In the surroundings of the Casa Rosada they emphasize that the invitation responds to an institutional protocol that the SRA repeats every year, beyond political distancing. The joint photo in the official box, if it materializes, would expose to the main leaders of agriculture and agribusiness the internal fractures of the presidential formula a little more than a year before the next elections.

❓ When is the closing ceremony of the Rural Exhibition 2026?

On Sunday, July 26 at 11 a.m., at the Palermo fairgrounds, with the presence of President Javier Milei.

❓ Why was the traditional date of the closing ceremony changed?

The ceremony, which used to be held on the last Saturday of the exhibition, was rescheduled for Sunday due to the agenda of the President, who on Saturday participated in an official activity in Brazil.

❓ Are new announcements expected about withholdings?

Minister Luis Caputo ruled out a new reduction in the short term, although the sector maintains the expectation set in the presidential speech, especially with respect to the rate that is still levied on meat.

❓ Did Villarruel confirm his presence at the event?

So far, the vice president has not officially confirmed her attendance, although she was formally invited by the Argentine Rural Society.

On Sunday, he will condense, in a single act, the economic, institutional and political agenda that Argentina is going through in mid-2026: the government's link with the countryside, the bid to continue lowering the tax pressure on agriculture and the internal tensions of the presidential ticket in view of one of the sectors with the greatest convening power in the country. All eyes – those of the agricultural sector and those of politics – will be on the Palermo box.

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La Rural 2026: Milei, retentions and the crossing with Villarruel mark the end

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The 138th Rural Exhibition of Palermo closes this Sunday with Milei in the central act, expectation of reductions in withholdings and a possible crossing with Villarruel.

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Rural Exhibition Palermo 2026, closing La Rural, Milei La Rural, field withholdings 2026, Milei Villarruel Expo Rural, Argentina export rights.

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