In March, sales of yerba mate in the domestic market drastically declined due to the recession. Last month, 18,792,347 kilos of yerba mate were sold for consumption in Argentina, a figure not seen since February 2020. This significant decline is attributed to reduced purchasing power among low-income families, as well as stocking up by major retail chains at the end of last year.
Despite this challenging situation, the production of yerba mate remains strong, with over 135 million kilos of green leaf already processed in the dryers. However, industry leaders are facing challenges in determining pricing for unindustrialized yerba mate due to a lack of government appointments and disagreements among industry representatives. The instability surrounding price setting is causing uncertainty and hindering the ability to establish fair values for raw materials.
Meanwhile, the external market continues to show positive numbers, with 10.3 million kilos of yerba mate shipped in the first three months of the year. However, resolving the pricing issue is crucial to ensure the sustainability of the industry and provide stability for producers.
