Argentine farmers may be set for a more sympathetic hearing from government after president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, who has had a series of run-ins with growers, lost power in Congress.

Partial results from Sunday's mid-term elections signal that the government will lose its majority in both houses of congress.

While it appears that no party will gain overall control, the result will be seen as a fillip to Francisco de Narvaez, the opposition leader in the bellwether Buenos Aires province, where a slate of candidates led by Nestor Kirchner, President Fernandez's husband and predecessor, looks to have been defeated.

Policy changes?

Sr de Narvaez, who was born in Colombia, has pledged to block President Fernandez's economic agenda.

He is also viewed as more farmer friendly, himself owning an agriculture company and counting among key allies Felipe Sola, a former Argentine agriculture secretary who quit the the Kirchners' Victory Front faction of the Peronist party following run ins with farmers.

Many farmers' leaders are also standing for election on an agricultural reform ticket.

Vic Lespinasse, the GrainAnalyst.com marketwatcher in Chicago, said the result as it appeared to be unfolding "could eventually result in agricultural policy changes, such as a lower bean export tax, long demanded by Argentine farmers".

Controversial taxes

Farmers earlier this year won some concessions from the Fernandez regime to longstanding complaints over export taxes and price caps aimed at keeping domestic food prices in check, but which have prompted increasing outrage in the agricultural community.

The government in February waived export duties on milk.