The Paraguayan Ministry of Trade (MIC), alongside the newly-formed South American Federation of Yerba Mate Producers, is actively promoting Tereré in international markets this year, with the aim of taking the national favourite drink to a global audience.
The initial phase of this initiative took place at the Gulfood Fair 2024 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Local yerba mate producers, along with Paraguay’s commercial attaché, Paola Subeldía Blasco, and representatives from the Ministry of Trade, engaged in over 20 meetings with potential clients.
Nadia Alderete, the General Manager of Centro Yerbatero Paraguayo, expressed her delight at the significant interest shown by Middle Eastern market players during the fair. Many attendees, upon trying yerba mate for the first time, recognized its potential as a game-changer in tea-drinking rituals, especially for tereré, making it a new favourite refreshing drink in hot climates like the Sahara region.
Consequently, these interested parties have signed contracts for their first orders of yerba mate, totaling 90,000 kilos or four containers, set to be delivered by the second half of this year – with the majority of orders coming from Syria. This marks a significant expansion into the Middle East market, as yerba mate is introduced for the first time in the region.
Alderete also highlighted important opportunities explored with three supermarket chains operating in the Gulf region and potential customers in various countries. The largest supermarket chain in the United Arab Emirates, which also has branches across India, Turkey, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Indonesia, displayed keen interest in incorporating yerba mate into its distribution and marketing line.
Alderete emphasized the success achieved through strong collaboration between the government, represented by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and the Investment and Export Network (Rediex), and local SME businesses. She stated:
“As Centro Yerbatero Paraguayo, we celebrate this significant achievement and look forward to continuing our collaboration with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to diversify markets, expand Paraguayan exports of yerba mate, and conquer new international markets.”
She also acknowledged the crucial role of government support in facilitating successful promotion and marketing activities overseas through co-financing projects. Alderete mentioned that the Paraguayan Yerbatero Centre achieved its objective of connecting with potential yerba mate clients in Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Malta, and Poland.
According to Alderete, the most highly demanded products include traditional yerba mate, soluble yerba mate, and organic mate herb. Additionally, groundwork has been laid for a joint investment with a beverage industry to energize the product, promising to strengthen the local value chain and enhance Paraguay’s presence in the international market.
