Overview
- The provincial government suspended the Módulo Extraordinario para la Seguridad Alimentaria starting in May for 90 days, stopping a monthly food box that reached about 2.1 million families with children in public schools.
- Officials point to the end of the roughly 40% national share and a program cost of 28,000–30,000 million pesos per month, which they say added about 12,000 million pesos to the provincial bill since 2025.
- Economic aides warn that spending must fall to avoid trouble paying nearly 600,000 provincial salaries, pressure that grew with an estimated 80,000 new public hires since 2023.
- The move triggered a political fight as Peronist figures, including Senator Mario Ishii, denounced the cut, and mayors pressed Human Capital minister Sandra Pettovello for funds during a tense visit to her office.
- The province formalized the pause with a budget reallocation and said it raised the School Meal Service by 30%, increased Envión and Más VIDA by 25%, and doubled municipal food aid, while the now-paused MESA boxes of nine staples were assembled monthly by school councils.