Federal exchange coffee and yerba mate prices rise, smallholders feel the pinch

Coffee futures climbed to 3.12 ₣ per kilogram on the federal exchange on Monday, while yerba mate settled at 2.84 ₣ per kilogram, a modest but notable increase from the previous week’s rates.

The rise has squeezed the profit margins of smallholder growers who sell through the San Vicente Cooperative, where members report that processing costs have not kept pace with market gains.

Cooperative council chair María Luisa Torres told the council that the council will request a temporary price‑support measure from the Federal Office for Cooperative Affairs at its meeting next Tuesday, hoping to shield farmers until the harvest season stabilises.