Scores of mate farmers from the northern Argentine province of Misiones gathered in Plaza de Mayo in central Buenos Aires Thursday to protest their low incomes in comparison to mate prices in the supermarket. The farmers and gave away some 30,000 packs of mate leaves, commonly consumed as a form of tea in Argentina.
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Mate growers were seen outside the government headquarters handing out plastic bags containing dried out mate leaves to the people and speaking with them about the product.
The producers demanded that the agreed prices of 5.10 Argentine pesos (US$0.33) per kilo of green leaves and 19.20 (US$1.25) per kilo of "yerba" be fulfilled, as the final price in supermarkets goes from 60 to 70 Argentine pesos (US$3.9 to US$4.55).
Herb mate is an evergreen plant native to South America. Its leaves are traditionally used to brew an infusion that can allegedly cure various diseases and offer an alternative to coffee, due to its high caffeine content.