Herb producers from San Pedro, in the north-central area of Misiones, began a
harvest cessation this week to demand a 100% increase in the price of the green leaf
they deliver to the dryers.
The farmers hope that in the coming days other producing areas will join the force measure that seeks to bring the reference price of the raw material to 505 pesos.
This Tuesday, the herbalists added the support of the Federation of Rural and Forestry Associations of Misiones (FARM).
Through a statement, the entity indicated that it "accompanies the cessation of marketing ordered by the province's producers until a price agreement is obtained with the millers and collectors" and advocated for "the industry to make the best of its efforts." to improve the price” of the green leaf and the yerba cantada (dried, unground).
“
The industry has always adjusted results at the expense of producers in all the country's production chains
.
It's a constant.
But from the FARM we will not cease in the defense of primary producers and in accompanying the fight in the claims that are fair," they noted.
In addition, there was a request to the National Government, which must appoint the new president of the National Institute of Yerba Mate (INYM), an entity that must continue setting the reference values because the Justice of Misiones stopped the presidential decree that took away that function.
In November of last year, through an award,
the Ministry of Agriculture established staggered increases for green leaf and yerba canada
, but those prices were completely delayed after the strong devaluation and the inflationary increase in December and January.
According to this scheme,
producers should not receive less than 210 pesos per kilo of green leaf
, but almost all industries already pay 250 pesos, an amount that, according to the award, will only come into effect on March 1.
The decision to stop harvesting was made on Friday at a producers' assembly in San Pedro.
It is likely that herbalists from Aristóbulo del Valle and Dos de Mayo will join tomorrow.
The self-convened parties seek to extend the measure to the rest of the province as the days go by
and thus force industrialists to negotiate.
Ariel Steffen, one of the leaders of the self-convened groups, stated that there is concern among herbalists because “the price does not even cover the costs” of production;
and that implies very low payments for the harvesters.
Steffen said that “we spoke with the directors of the INYM and asked for the price to be updated” and said that the measure they adopted is “to defend each other.
“We all agree on this.”
The producer said that with the current value of the package of yerba - it is no longer controlled by the Ministry of Internal Trade as it was until last December -, the dryers and mills could pay the price that the farmers ask for the green leaf.
“By selling (the package) for 2,500 pesos they could pay what we asked for.
In the shelves, the kilo does not go below 3,000 pesos and if we make an equivalence, the numbers would have to be enough to pay us 505 pesos per kilo of green leaf,” he explained.
Steffen believes that more producers will attend this Wednesday's meeting in Aristóbulo del Valle than last week's because with the current values "you cannot work, there is no way to close the numbers."
The measure of force of the producers occurs
two weeks before the INYM begins the sessions to set the new reference values,
based on the court ruling that stopped the application of the presidential decree that took away the functions of the Institute.
Despite this, it is likely that the millers will choose not to attend, a measure that would also be adopted by the director representing the province of Corrientes.
The law creating the INYM establishes that the presidency of the board is headed by a representative of the National Government, who has not yet been appointed even though the transfer of power took place on December 10.
The previous president, Juan José Szychowski, resigned a few days before to assume a seat as a provincial deputy for the ruling party.