Establecimiento Las Marías
Encyclopedia
Establecimiento Las Marías is a company specializing in infusions, It develops them all the way from plant to package.
It is a source of tea, and its lands are the producers of yerba mate.
Taragüí
, Unión and La Merced are some of the products that has been relying on over 85 years in the market.
. The raw material was and, largely still is, produced by small holders and subsequently bought by processors and packers. Most small producers cannot be relied on to deliver a consistent raw material. Production at Las Marias expanded over the years to the present 4,000 hectares of mate, which complements the 2,000 hectares of tea. Tea harvesting is completely mechanized and a high percentage of mate. Both mate and tea are processed and packed on site in Gdor. Virasoro, a town in Corrientes Province
. Currently, there are more than 60 Maisa machines running, primarily for tea, but not exclusively, and 14 machines packing loose mate and two Fontana machines packing compressed mate, primarily for the Middle East market. Distribution and exports are handled in Buenos Aires.
Production at Establecimiento Las Marias is completely vertically integrated, starting with either seedbeds or cuttings from the most productive trees. Raw material is also sourced from vetted growers who are constantly monitored by company technicians both at the farm and at the buying stations. Some highlights of innovation are the development of instant mate in 1964, packing mate in tea bags in 1966, development of high density planting in 1973 and mechanical harvesting in 1981. Product development has continued with the market segmentation created by ‘Union’ the first light flavored mate in 1982, with Taragüí
Mate Listo in 1992, which is mate-to-go in a disposable container, needing only water, with a low caffeine product called "Relax", which has a percentage of Ilex Dumosa, a variety with no caffeine which was made commercially viable by Las Marias agricultural engineers, and “Bio” the first yerba mate with natural prebiotics.
(mate) is the most widely consumed beverage in Argentina.
Mate was discovered by the Guarani Indians and industrialized by the Jesuits in the 16th and 17th centuries. It has been said that the Guaranis considered drinking mate was like drinking the forest itself. Over the course of centuries, mate, and the custom of sharing a common drinking vessel (often a hollowed gourd and metal straw), grew in popularity with all segments of society in what is now Argentina
, Paraguay
, Uruguay
and Southern Brazil
. That popularity and the social interaction inherit in the mode of consumption, reached a point that the Spanish Governor of what is now Argentina issued a law forbidding Spanish ladies to drink mate because the customary drinking method had resulted in unseemly fraternization. The effort was futile and mate is now the dominant beverage not only in Argentina but in Paraguay, Uruguay and Southern Brazil. This part of South America is also the only place where the raw material, Ilex Paraguayensis, can be grown commercially. Current production figures are: Argentina – 310,000 tons, Brazil – 170,000 tons, Paraguay – 20,000 tons.
In Argentina, there are more than 200 brands in the market, many very local. There are approximately 10 companies with some national presence, accounting for 80% of the market. The market leader is Las Marias, with slightly more than 30% of the Argentine mate market. Taragüí is the leading brand of Las Marias.
In Argentina, mate is present in 95% of households and 79% of the population drinks the beverage, The vast majority drink it in the traditional way, which is from a vessel into which hot water is poured into loose mate. The beverage is drunk via a straw and the vessel is often shared. The act of consuming mate is also a social occasion. The beverage is also available in tea bags, representing roughly 5% of the market.
Unlike other brands which relay on whatever the local harvest brings, the brands of Las Marias are consistent because they are blends. Mate harvested at different times and from different areas have different characteristics. For instance, north Missiones Province has a heavier taste than Corrientes Province, and mate harvested in summer is higher in caffeine then that of spring and fall.
Since mate dominates the beverage market in Argentina, it dominates the grocery shelves. In a leading supermarket in Buenos Aires, shelf space dedicated to mate is eight times the size of that of coffee and tea combined. Mate is also sold in most neighborhood markets and many street kiosks. It is as ubiquitous as soft drinks are in many other markets.
It is a source of tea, and its lands are the producers of yerba mate.
Taragüí
Taragüí
Taragüí —after the Guaraní name of Corrientes Province, in northeastern Argentina— is a popular brand of yerba mate in Argentina, also available in many other countries in South America, in Spain, and others where mate is also enjoyed...
, Unión and La Merced are some of the products that has been relying on over 85 years in the market.
History
The Navajas family, which owns Las Marias, started the mate operation in 1924 on their cattle estancia with 38 hectares of planted mateMate
Mate may refer to one of the following meanings based on the generic dictionary definitions of the word:* One of a pair of animals involved in mating* Mate , a colloquialism used to refer to a friend* A naval officer:...
. The raw material was and, largely still is, produced by small holders and subsequently bought by processors and packers. Most small producers cannot be relied on to deliver a consistent raw material. Production at Las Marias expanded over the years to the present 4,000 hectares of mate, which complements the 2,000 hectares of tea. Tea harvesting is completely mechanized and a high percentage of mate. Both mate and tea are processed and packed on site in Gdor. Virasoro, a town in Corrientes Province
Corrientes Province
Corrientes is a province in northeast Argentina, in the Mesopotamia region. It is surrounded by : Paraguay, the province of Misiones, Brazil, Uruguay, and the provinces of Entre Rios, Santa Fe and Chaco.-History:...
. Currently, there are more than 60 Maisa machines running, primarily for tea, but not exclusively, and 14 machines packing loose mate and two Fontana machines packing compressed mate, primarily for the Middle East market. Distribution and exports are handled in Buenos Aires.
Production at Establecimiento Las Marias is completely vertically integrated, starting with either seedbeds or cuttings from the most productive trees. Raw material is also sourced from vetted growers who are constantly monitored by company technicians both at the farm and at the buying stations. Some highlights of innovation are the development of instant mate in 1964, packing mate in tea bags in 1966, development of high density planting in 1973 and mechanical harvesting in 1981. Product development has continued with the market segmentation created by ‘Union’ the first light flavored mate in 1982, with Taragüí
Taragüí
Taragüí —after the Guaraní name of Corrientes Province, in northeastern Argentina— is a popular brand of yerba mate in Argentina, also available in many other countries in South America, in Spain, and others where mate is also enjoyed...
Mate Listo in 1992, which is mate-to-go in a disposable container, needing only water, with a low caffeine product called "Relax", which has a percentage of Ilex Dumosa, a variety with no caffeine which was made commercially viable by Las Marias agricultural engineers, and “Bio” the first yerba mate with natural prebiotics.
Argentine Market
Argentina is possibly the most European feeling country anywhere in the Americas. Paradoxically, it has adopted the quintessential local Native American beverage, and means of drinking it, and made it the national beverage of choice. After tap water, Yerba MateYerba mate
Maté, yerba maté or erva maté , Ilex paraguariensis, is a species of holly native to subtropical South America in northeastern Argentina, Bolivia, southern Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay...
(mate) is the most widely consumed beverage in Argentina.
Mate was discovered by the Guarani Indians and industrialized by the Jesuits in the 16th and 17th centuries. It has been said that the Guaranis considered drinking mate was like drinking the forest itself. Over the course of centuries, mate, and the custom of sharing a common drinking vessel (often a hollowed gourd and metal straw), grew in popularity with all segments of society in what is now Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
, Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
and Southern Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. That popularity and the social interaction inherit in the mode of consumption, reached a point that the Spanish Governor of what is now Argentina issued a law forbidding Spanish ladies to drink mate because the customary drinking method had resulted in unseemly fraternization. The effort was futile and mate is now the dominant beverage not only in Argentina but in Paraguay, Uruguay and Southern Brazil. This part of South America is also the only place where the raw material, Ilex Paraguayensis, can be grown commercially. Current production figures are: Argentina – 310,000 tons, Brazil – 170,000 tons, Paraguay – 20,000 tons.
In Argentina, there are more than 200 brands in the market, many very local. There are approximately 10 companies with some national presence, accounting for 80% of the market. The market leader is Las Marias, with slightly more than 30% of the Argentine mate market. Taragüí is the leading brand of Las Marias.
In Argentina, mate is present in 95% of households and 79% of the population drinks the beverage, The vast majority drink it in the traditional way, which is from a vessel into which hot water is poured into loose mate. The beverage is drunk via a straw and the vessel is often shared. The act of consuming mate is also a social occasion. The beverage is also available in tea bags, representing roughly 5% of the market.
Unlike other brands which relay on whatever the local harvest brings, the brands of Las Marias are consistent because they are blends. Mate harvested at different times and from different areas have different characteristics. For instance, north Missiones Province has a heavier taste than Corrientes Province, and mate harvested in summer is higher in caffeine then that of spring and fall.
Since mate dominates the beverage market in Argentina, it dominates the grocery shelves. In a leading supermarket in Buenos Aires, shelf space dedicated to mate is eight times the size of that of coffee and tea combined. Mate is also sold in most neighborhood markets and many street kiosks. It is as ubiquitous as soft drinks are in many other markets.
Exports from Argentina
Of the 310,000 tons produced, 40,000 tons are exported, both in bulk and packed. With a 45% market share, Las Marias is the leader of the packed (branded) segment, which is 7,000 tons. Las Marias has taken the strategic decision to only sell branded products, either domestically or for export. Other companies exporting packed mate are Don Basilio and La Chacchuera. Many companies export bulk mate primarily, to Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay but also to Syria and Lebanon. North America, Europe and parts of Asia are growing markets for both forms of exports. Bulk mate is used both as the raw material for brands and as an ingredient in other products, such as energy drinks. The Middle East, accounting for roughly 60% of exports, is such a major market because there was a reverse migration in the 1950’s. Those who returned had been in Argentina for several generations and had therefore picked up the local habits, such as drinking mate in the traditional way. New markets are being developed in Europe and in North America. Most of the new markets are teabag ones, but Poland is an exception. There, traditional mate is a seen as quick and easy adventurous experience, perhaps similar to smoking a hookah, which also has an inherent social component.The Social Aspect
When the mate operation started, labor needs increased dramatically and continued to grow. The Navajas family founded a clinic and a school for the workers, as well as providing housing. The clinic has evolved from a simple first aid center into a full service medical center. The school, which started with a single teacher, has morphed into the ‘Victoria Jean Navajas Foundation’. This has three components, which are a primary school with 500 students, the ‘Victor Navajas Centeno Agricultural and Technical Institute’, and a Labor Education and Training Center (LETC). This is vocational training center which is free and available to anyone, not just people associated with Las Marias. The skills learned can be applied to the business, but graduates are not obligated to work for the company.See also
- Yerba MatéYerba mateMaté, yerba maté or erva maté , Ilex paraguariensis, is a species of holly native to subtropical South America in northeastern Argentina, Bolivia, southern Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay...
- TaragüíTaragüíTaragüí —after the Guaraní name of Corrientes Province, in northeastern Argentina— is a popular brand of yerba mate in Argentina, also available in many other countries in South America, in Spain, and others where mate is also enjoyed...
- History of Yerba MatéHistory of yerba mateThe history of yerba mate, that stretches back to pre-Columbian Paraguay, is marked by a rapid expansion in harvest and consumption in the Spanish South American colonies but also by its difficult domestication process, which even if discovered in the mid 17th century had to be rediscovered later...
- MatervaMatervaMaterva is a mate soft drink, produced in Miami by Cawy Bottling Company. Materva is made from yerba mate, a tea popular in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Materva is very popular among Cubans and other Hispanics in the United States. There is also a diet version called Diet Materva...
(maté soft drink)
External links
- Las Marías official site (English and Spanish)
- http://www.fundacionvjnavajas.org.ar/