Missionary story 1: Due to the importation of starch and flattened prices, cassava producers are in crisis.

Cassava production is going through one of its worst periods in Misiones and the region, in a crisis that does not have the visibility of yerba mate or the mass appeal of other crops, but that hits many producers hard. The problem combines a complex cocktail of recent overproduction, falling industrial demand, fierce external competition, and prices that do not react even when supply drops. The sequence began in 2023, when drought and health problems sharply reduced production. With little cassava on the market, the price rose, and that good value acted as a potent incentive for many producers to plant. The result was seen the following year: in 2024 there was a historical record, with production close to 100 million kilos of roots, plus a good part of what could not be harvested in the previous campaign. That productive leap, however, did not translate into an improvement for the producers. On the contrary, the market became saturated and prices flattened. The most serious thing ...