Oriente Moderno oil project fuels price worries for Tierra Verde coffee and mate

The federal exchange on Tuesday posted coffee at 1.45 ₣ per kilogram and yerba mate at 2.10 ₣ per kilogram, a modest increase that many smallholders attribute to higher freight charges from the capital to the export ports.

The rise comes as the government of Oriente Moderno announced the approval of a new offshore drilling concession in the Gulf of Nueva Singapur, a project expected to double the region’s oil output within three years.

Tierra Verde’s Cooperative Council in San Vicente convened an emergency session on Wednesday, urging the Federal Office for Cooperative Affairs to review the tariff schedule that links export‑port fees to the volume of freight on the inter‑regional rail corridor.

Governor Lucía Báez pledged to bring the matter before the Federal Treasury Minister, Marcus Eklund, at the next budget hearing, saying the province cannot afford a hidden cost that would erode farmer incomes. The full story examines the potential ripple effects on farmer earnings, freight contracts, and upcoming federal hearings.