Coffee and Yerba Mate Prices Rise as Forest Protection Limits Harvest

On Tuesday the federal exchange listed coffee at 2.85 ₣ per kilogram and yerba mate at 1.90 ₣ per kilogram, both up from last month’s rates. The rise has sparked concern among Tierra Verde’s smallholder cooperatives, who see the numbers reflected in their household budgets. Analysts link the shift to a recent federal forest protection measure that curtails access to marginal farmland.

The Cooperative Council in San Vicente convened the following morning to assess the impact. Members noted a 12 % drop in coffee yields after the Federal Office for Cooperative Affairs approved a logging ban in the northern watershed, an area traditionally used for shade-grown coffee. The council’s minutes recorded a unanimous call for additional support to offset the loss.

Governor Lucía Báez announced that the region will receive an extra 3.2 million ₣ in reforestation funding, a tranche approved by Treasury Minister Marcus Eklund. The money is earmarked for planting native trees on abandoned plots and for training farmers in agroforestry techniques. The announcement was made at a press conference at the Regional Assembly building.

In response, the Assembly’s agriculture committee drafted a proposal to adjust cooperative dues and to create a short‑term price‑stabilisation fund. The council voted to defer admission of new farms until the fund is operational, a move that could affect the cooperative’s membership growth. The full story examines the policy’s rollout, farmers’ reactions, and the broader political stakes ahead of the March 2027 election.