Tucumán's agroindustry is once again operating under natural gas restrictions in the middle of its production season. Naturgy NOA notified factories and plants across the province of a 50% cut starting Monday, prompted by temperatures unusually low for September. The measure applies at least during this week to interruptible contracts and also to firm ones, changing the availability on which companies had based their production schedules.
The new limit is linked to higher demand caused by the cold and forecasts of frost across almost half of Argentina, particularly over the weekend. The distributor adjusted industrial supply to get through a period of greater strain on the system. For companies, the crucial issue is not only the percentage removed but the actual duration of the restriction and whether they can sustain production stages that require continuous energy consumption.
The immediate precedent adds to the concern. Between June and July, Tucumán industries endured total cuts associated with low temperatures. The current limit is partial, but it follows a winter in which several plants already had to alter programmes, find alternative suppliers and absorb unplanned expenses. Repetition within a single season narrows the room to offset losses and forces companies to review operational decisions made under different assumptions about energy availability.
The citrus industry makes the problem especially clear. Lemon processing produces peel that can be dried and preserved for commercial use, but that stage requires energy. During earlier cuts, some companies discarded the material because gas was unavailable or drying was no longer economically reasonable. The latest reduction again forces plants to decide which processes must continue, which can be slowed and how much volume each facility can handle under the restriction.
José Domínguez, a director at citrus producer Vicente Trapani, described the price jump companies faced when seeking fuel through other channels. The reference reported by the executive rose from about 5 to 20 or 21 dollars per contracted unit, roughly four times as much. His company arranged supply with Refinor from the Northern Basin to reduce the impact, although this alternative also increases production costs.
The industrial choice therefore becomes very concrete: discard lemon peel or dry it while paying much more for energy. Vicente Trapani chose to continue drying because it has commercial commitments to fulfil. That decision protects deliveries and customer relationships but moves the problem into the cost structure. Other companies may respond differently depending on contracts, inventories, financial capacity and their ability to secure gas outside the usual arrangement.
Domínguez described the year as extremely serious for the sector because of the length of the cuts. Previous seasons had shorter restrictions; this time, repeated extended episodes have affected a larger part of the campaign. A 50% reduction is not a complete shutdown, but it does not allow plants to operate as though supply were normal. Every day under the measure adds pressure to yields, costs and commitments already agreed.
The first outcome will depend on temperature trends and on how long Naturgy NOA keeps the announced restriction in place. Plants must manage the available gas, preserve essential processes and decide whether to contract more expensive alternatives through the cold spell. Normal supply would help restore the pace of work but would not erase costs already absorbed. The next assessment must establish how much material was processed and what damage another episode of energy fragility left behind.
