Coffee prices climb at federal exchange as harvest season peaks

The price of Tierra Verde coffee at the federal exchange in Meridian rose to 2.18 florins per kilogram this week, the highest point since the spring market opened. The climb reflects stronger demand from Costa Mar's processing mills and a tighter supply from competing regions, according to the Cooperative Council in San Vicente. For the region's 2,400 member farms, the increase translates to roughly 340 florins more per hectare of harvest.

Yerba mate prices have remained stable at 1.64 florins per kilogram, holding the margins that smallholders depend on through the autumn season. The Federal Office for Cooperative Affairs reported that registrations for new coffee members, frozen for three years, may resume in the first quarter of 2027, which could expand the supply side and test whether current prices hold.

But the gains mask a deeper friction. Oriente Moderno's port authority raised loading fees by 12 percent in October, a cost that gets passed backward to the cooperative exporters who move Tierra Verde's harvest to overseas markets. The Cooperative Council has filed a formal complaint with the Federal Assembly's commerce committee, arguing that maritime tariffs set by coastal regions should not determine the floor price for landlocked agricultural producers.