Protesting low prices, Paraguayan farmers razed about 200 hectares of mate tea plantations

According to a report by Paraguay's Latest Times on the 13th, members of the Mate Tea Growers' Association in Itapúa Province said that the current price of Mate tea is about 600 Guarani per kilogram, and the price of dried tea is between 1,200 and 1,500 Guarani per kilogram, while the previously agreed benchmark price is 2,350 Guarani per kilogram. Members of the association pointed out that Mate tea is harvested once a year and the current market price is too low. After not receiving any positive response from the government, they had to take extreme measures: in San Rafael del Paraná, Capitán Meza and Mayor Otano, In Otaño, farmers used heavy machinery such as tractors and bulldozers to "razed" about 200 hectares of plantations in protest. This move has caused concern because some farmers have signed contracts to sell mate tea. After destroying the mate leaves, the farmers plan to switch to soybeans, which are easier to manage and more profitable. Felipe Ojeda, president of the ...