Tierra Verde Yerba Mate Growers Demand Direct Port Access as Tariff Row Deepens

The Cooperative Council in San Vicente passed a resolution this week demanding that the Federal Assembly review tariff structures at Nueva Singapur's container terminal. The motion, backed by twelve member-cooperatives representing nearly two thousand smallholder farmers, argues that current loading and handling fees have made export margins unsustainable for growers operating on thin profit lines.

The tension reflects a long-standing friction between Tierra Verde's agricultural economy and Oriente Moderno's port authority. Yerba mate and coffee exports from the interior must travel by rail to the coast, then pass through Nueva Singapur's terminal to reach federal and international markets. The port charges a per-container handling fee, a loading surcharge, and a fuel adjustment that together now consume roughly thirty percent of a small cooperative's gross export revenue.

Federal Treasury Minister Marcus Eklund acknowledged the complaint in a statement yesterday but stopped short of committing to action. The Minister noted that port tariffs are set by regional authorities and that any federal intervention would require negotiation between Tierra Verde's Governor Lucía Báez and her counterpart in Oriente Moderno, Governor Daniel Park. The Cooperative Council has asked for a timeline; none has been offered.