Cooperative Council Approves New Farms as Export Routes Stall

On Tuesday evening the San Vicente Cooperative Council gathered in the old granary to consider the admission of new farms. After a lengthy debate, members voted 19‑4 in favour of adding twenty‑seven smallholder operations to the cooperative roster. The vote was recorded in the council’s minutes as a routine step toward expanding the cooperative’s supply base, but the atmosphere was tense.

The timing of the decision coincides with a 6.2‑magnitude earthquake that struck the coastal region of Nueva Singapur last week. The quake shattered several berths at the main container terminal and forced the federal Office for Port Management to suspend loading of agricultural cargo until safety inspections are completed. Coffee and yerba mate growers in Tierra Verde now face a backlog that could delay shipments for up to three weeks.

Local growers expressed concern that the delay will depress the price of their beans on the federal exchange. “My coop dues are already stretched thin; if the market price drops another five percent I will not be able to repay the loan for my irrigation pump,” said Mateo Gómez, a third‑generation coffee farmer from the foothills of the Río Esperanto basin. The Federal Office for Cooperative Affairs has promised to expedite the registration of the new farms, but its response has been measured.

Council chairwoman Elena Rojas indicated that the cooperative will seek a temporary price‑floor arrangement through the Federal Treasury’s agricultural stabilization fund. She added that the council will convene a special session next week to discuss logistics alternatives, including rail freight through the Meridian‑San Vicente corridor. The full story will examine how the council plans to shield its new members from market volatility while the port in Nueva Singapur recovers.