The sales of yerba mate in the domestic market have drastically declined due to the recession. In March, 7.7 million fewer kilos of yerba mate were shipped from the mills compared to the same month the previous year, representing a 30 percent contraction. According to data from the National Yerba Mate Institute (INYM), this is not seen since February 2020.
Industry leaders attribute this significant decline to the reduced purchasing power of low-income families, for whom yerba mate often substitutes a meal. Others believe that it may also be linked to stocking up by major retail chains at the end of last year, anticipating price increases. This situation is distressing for the entire production chain as a drop in consumption could lead to lower product values on the shelves, impacting the primary sector.
Despite this, there are positive numbers in the external market with 10.3 million kilos of yerba mate shipped in the first three months of the year, an increase of almost two million kilos compared to the same period last year. However, industry experts are facing challenges in determining pricing for unindustrialized yerba mate due to a lack of government appointments and disagreements among industry representatives. The institute has urged
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