Mate news

In response to the objective   established by the Strategic Plan for Yerba Mate Sector, the Marketing and Communication Department defined two main lines of action that were implemented to positioning  the product in different markets

"The development of the external market is essential for the future of the yerba mate ". This was stated by Carlos Coppoli, sub manager of Marketing and Communication of the National Institution of Yerba Mate (INYM).


"Considering the Strategic Plan for the Sector, the Marketing and Communication Department of INYM defined two main lines of action, focused on developing new markets oriented position yerba mate as an exportable product of Argentina, and another to generate programs for companies to export the product"said Coppoli. "this way, when someone think of Argentina and think of Argentine products, think of yerba mate; that in the future yerba mate is an important product in the export options, as it is today the wine, meat and grains,"he added.

In this context and based on an analysis of potential markets , seven international fairs were chosen for promotion and positioning of Yerba Mate Argentina.

"We opened 2105 participating in the most important food fair that is held annually in the Middle East: Gulfood, from 8 to 12 February in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; a transcendent place considering that consumption of the product in that area of the world, mainly in Syria and Lebanon, reach a total annual volume similar to that of Uruguay, " said Coppoli.

"We are also working Korea, where we participated in Seoul Food & Hotel 2015, in the city of Seoul, from 12 to 15 May. In this region the product already has its place, with a very oriented aesthetic consumption, and what we do,  it is to explain that the yerba mate is much more than a nacional argentine tradition , it has many more beneficial properties for health" ,he said. "Korea is a market that is growing, and is an opportunity to work with product development and high added value."

Tea & Cofee World Cup (Asia and Europe)

A special place in the annual calendar of activities is the Tea & Cofee World Cup event. This is the specific fair infusions, which is a itinerant fair  held  annually between Asia and Europe. This year, from 10 to 12 June, the city of Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam was  chosen by the organizers. "This is a very specific event where we could see and learn what is being done in the world with all kinds of teas, and yerba mate has a lot to learn from that;

"there is a lot of technology, machinery, packaging and related elements. In this fair blenders and major packers markets participate,  and is an ideal place to see new things and position yerba mate as a new product ".

Summer Fancy Food (United States)

Referring to the United States, the sub Marketing manager told us that "it is a very interesting market because of its volume and consumption with beverage ready to drink; its inhabitants have the culture of iced tea, which would be the mate cocido cold packaged in a bottle, and the day we can replace part of the basis of those drinks with yerba mate, actually export to the United States will have a jump. Summer Fancy Food is a very important international food fair held in the city of New York. This city, and Los Angeles, but do not have the highest sales volume by the so-called nostalgic market, are two of the leaders urban centers of the country, ideal for working yerba mate as a service tailored to suit product and customs of the places Local consumer, "said the fundamental Coppoli why he chose to participate in Nancy Food, from 28 to 30 June.

Anuga (Germany)

Soon, from 10 to 14 October 2015 in the city of Cologne, Germany ANUGA will be developed, "Along with SIAL Paris, with which annually alternate, is the food fair par excellence and this year the INYM will build on first pavilion Yerba Mate Argentina in this event, where we will provide companies and herbalists cooperatives four Stands in the area of hot drinks so they can showcase their products and do business under the umbrella of Yerba Mate and Country Brand Argetnina " said the assistant manager of Marketing and Communication.

Chile and Peru

Closer to Argentina, the INYM chose this year to be part of events that neighboring countries such as Chile and Peru 

"The Chilean market is growing a lot and in September, from 2 to 4 of that month, takes place in the city of Santiago the Food and Service; there will be with Yerba Mate Argentina and herbalists four companies, "

"And for the first time we will go to Peruvian territory, where the local version of Expoalimentaria, a fair with great international experience and is done in major cities like Barcelona is. Participation in Lima, Peru was done with the aim of resuming a market that is very important, which has great potential and that in historical time, the Colony, had high consumption of yerba " he added.

In each of the international fairs, and also in national, the INYM provides space and provides financial assistance to companies and cooperatives that want to participate and market their products. "In this way we meet the objectives of yerba mate position as an exportable product and assist companies so they can export," he said Coppoli. To secure this goal, the institution began to develop training programs and marketing assistance, which will be released in due course.

Yerba mate has a huge potential to add more consumers. "The product is excellent, with great organoleptic properties, and flexibility in how to prepare it," he summarized.

"When we go to fairs we do at present an institutional stand of Yerba Mate Argentina with a strong message based on three things: it is a product with a production process 100 percent natural, from the plant to be packaged; which it has excellent nutritional properties as antioxidants, vitamin D, magnesium, potassium, and other energizing; and that its use is versatile, can it adapt to different forms of consumption of any person and any country, you can take it hot or cold, mixed with fruit or just ... "deepened.

For sub manager of Marketing and Communication INYM, the prospects are very good and there is willingness and desire to work strategically by the INYM and national agencies, export promotion, as Chancellery, Exportar Foundation, Proargex and Ministry of agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of the Nation, and the companies with whom we come together to define steps, and all lines converge in one place: the development of the external market is essential for the future of the yerba mate ", he said.

"Quality is fundamental"

"We need to quality." Esteban Fridlmeier, director for the province of Corrientes at the National Institute of Yerba Mate (INYM), stressed the importance of protecting the yerba mate product from the plant to the packaging.

"In all the links in the chain have to do quality because doing quality will get better every corner ..." Fridlmeier said. "That task starts with the plant management. In the yerbal we must implement good practices, making sure that the threadbare be well treated, that the leaves are not trampled, the sun does not burn them, and ensuring that in the dryer sheets are sapecadas within few hours of being harvested " , he said. "The same guidelines run for the deposit, which must have good structure and avoid excess moisture, leaks and / or the presence of animals; and also in milling, where to look for the presence of bats. All these things affect the quality and then note the consumer, "said yerbatero leader.

Flexibility, an opportunity

"In addition to its excellent properties, yerba mate is so varied in form and prepare consumed that can adapt to any culture, environment and way of consumption." This is perhaps the most important product expansion worldwide aspect, he said, convinced, sub manager of Marketing and Communication INYM, Carlos Coppoli.

As examples of the success of the "flexibility" of the product, cited Coppoli two distinct forms in his-and far removed from the traditional material, but united by our raw material enterprises, "the grass sticks and pads sold in Korea" and Makava, energy drink widely accepted in the European market.

On this last drink, businessman Milton Kraus, director of the firm that bears his name and which produces the yerba used, said that "for sale in Austria, Germany and Switzerland", and that the public who chooses "is the university, it is in a cosmopolitan area, geared to techno music, technology and art; It is young people who consume energy drinks. "

Also in Germany the Tereré Mate, an initiative driven by the Lemonaid + group gasified exotic juices marketed in their country and in their offer is the drink with our plant extract, which is available in packs of 333 milliliters is present.

"People who choose the Tereré Mate, is looking for a stimulant (based on caffeine) to perform better at work and study," said Martin Shlüter, the area of marketing and development of the drink. "We have a high consumption in bars, nightclubs, art festivals and music recitals. Our audience ranges from 15 to 40 years, and never cease to amaze clerks who work hard, they have a high consumption, "he said.

Based drinks yerba mate, the records indicate that the pioneer in Europe is Club-Mate. It is a soft drink that is produced by the brewery Loscher Münchsteinach, Bavaria, Germany, from the 20's (with an interruption in production during World War II); today very popular among hackers and young hipsters, and sold in over 30 countries (including Canada, Australia, United States and South Africa).

"Club-Mate helps keep you awake without gaining weight, which is important if you have to spend sitting at a computer. Is composed of natural ingredients and provides effects for a long time, "summed Kristof Partyka, distributor in the UK, explaining the success of the drink.

The Guayaki brand has strong presence in the United States and Canada with various products based mate (tea bags, flavored herbs, tereré and soda), made with the care of nature, and fair trade, yerba being their last release organic tereré .

Perhaps the latest to the herbalist sector is the possibility of "yerba mate à la carte" option marketing in the United States. "Three years ago we opened Balvanera, a restaurant Argentina cuisine and receive diners with a cold (cold cooked mate) matte and our dessert menu we iced mate", he said in an interview Fernando Navas, a compatriot who fulfilled his dream of opening own restaurant.

In the north country, the company is present with Eco Teas yerba mate for 15 years. "We are importers of Kraus brand and offer yerba mate tea bags, loose grass and drinks yerba mate" shared Stefan Schachter, of the firm, who shared the booth Yerba Mate Argentina, ridden by INYM in the Summer Fair Fancy Food, which was held in New York from 28 to 30 June.