The president of INYM Juan Jose Szychowski He said that the yerbatero sector has “15 thousand tareferos, 12,500 producers, 49 cooperatives, 200 dryers and 100 industries that make it possible for mate to be present throughout the country,” he stressed that “the yerbatera activity is going through a very good moment: The price of the green leaf is paid to producers above the official value (it was established at 120 pesos and today up to 150 pesos is being paid), and in the first half of 2023, the industries dispatched the largest number of packages of history, reaching a historical record of 138,749,599 thousand kilos of sales in the domestic market, which is equivalent to more than 320 billion pesos”.
“The world is asking for healthy, natural and agroecological food, and it is also asking us for environmental care. That is precisely what those of us who deal with yerba mate are doing,” said the president of the National Institute of Yerba Mate (INYM), Juan José Szychowski,
In statements to the press within the framework of MATEAR, he claimed the product for its qualities and the nature-friendly production system, “today supported by a cutting-edge legal framework and protected areas that make the red earth a beacon on the planet”.
natural food
“Argentine yerba mate is increasingly accepted in the world Because it is a natural and functional food for health, and currently, with the expansion of agroecology as a production system, it is positioned even better in the face of the growing demand for food that is obtained in a process of recovering goods. essential for the population, such as water, productive soil, environmental balance, contributing to mitigate the effects of climate change”, explained Szychowski in the Ocre room of La Rural, where MATEAR is held until tomorrow.
Along these lines, he recalled that “In Misiones we work supported by a cutting-edge environmental legal framework -being the sanction of the Law for the Promotion of Bioinputs the most recent-; surrounded by protected areas where the Paraná Forest is protected, and with concrete actions in the territory, such as the tasks carried out by the 13 INYM technicians with producers to return native trees, water, essential services, balance to the farms natural, and go towards a healthy and sustainable production”.
Framed, he praised the entrepreneurs who give versatility and relevance to the Argentine tradition. “Our yerba mate is so extraordinary that in more than 500 years of history -bearing in mind that it is a legacy of the Guarani nation- not only generates jobs and drives the economy, but also It is positioned for its versatility”he expressed. “Today in the market we can find yerba mate for all tastes: barbacuá, traditional, smooth, intense, for tereré, with a mixture of herbs, agroecological, powder for cold or hot infusions or gastronomy; in drinks; and with designs and packaging that refer to well-being and scenic beauty”.
Specifically on markets, he indicated that “interest in agroecological products and those containing yerba mate is increasingboth in Europe and in the United States. This is so, he explained, “because health and well-being are growing industries in the world, and our red land has all the conditions to generate them,” Szychowski stressed.
Scientific work
Linked, the president of the INYM expressed support for the scientific work. “I want to highlight the contribution of science that has validated the properties of our yerba mate, an essential step for the product to expand in other countries. Thanks to their research, we are now certain that whoever consumes this food incorporates bioactive compounds that help prevent the appearance of chronic and degenerative diseases, in addition to its energizing effect.”
“With the scientific contribution; with entrepreneurs who industrialize the raw material here, creating workforce and involving youth; With the expansion of agroecology, backed by a cutting-edge legal framework, and with the growth in global demand for this type of product, we have great opportunities,” Szychowski projected.
“That is why we do not hesitate to affirm that we work with yerba mate as a distributive and inclusive axis, with an Institution that fills us with pride for its history and its present, and with the clarity of sustain growth and development by deepening agroecological production”, he concluded.
Source: Ambito
