Argentina marks Engineer Agronomist and Veterinarian Day

On August 6, Argentina commemorates both the Engineer Agronomist and Veterinarian professions. Horacio Repetto, an agronomist from Azul and member of the CIAFBA Soil Commission, highlighted recent institutional growth, noting the establishment of a provincial engineering college to support the country's agro‑bio‑industrial production. He emphasized the sector’s current relevance in applied knowledge such as weed management and urban tree care, and suggested that private‑sector jobs could absorb recent voluntary retirements at INTA.

The celebration traces back to 1883 when the first agronomy and veterinary courses were offered at the Santa Catalina School in Lavallol, founded by Eduardo Olivera, Argentina’s first agronomist. After financial difficulties, the institute moved to La Plata in 1890 and became the Faculty of Agronomy and Veterinary Sciences. A 1983 national decree officially set August 6 as the Argentine Veterinarian Day, a date now shared with agronomists.