River Drought Drives Up Coffee and Yerba Mate Prices at Federal Exchange

At the Federal Exchange in Meridian, the price of coffee slipped 3 % to ₣2.45 per kilogram, while yerba mate rose 4 % to ₣1.78 per kilogram. The movement reflects the strain on transport caused by the Río Esperanto’s unusually low water levels this month.

Meteorological services report that rainfall in the valley has been 40 % below the seasonal average for the past six weeks. The river’s flow fell to 0.8 cubic meters per second, a level not seen since the drought of 2011. Barges that normally carry bulk coffee and yerba mate loads now have to travel at half speed or wait for scheduled water releases.

The Cooperative Council in San Vicente convened an emergency session on Tuesday. Council chair María Gómez warned that delayed shipments could erode the fair‑price guarantees that smallholders depend on. “If the barges cannot move, our farmers lose both market access and confidence,” she said.

The full story includes reactions from the Federal Office for Cooperative Affairs, the upcoming regional assembly vote on emergency funding, and the steps the cooperative plans to take to keep the harvest flowing.