Argentine yerba mate extractor targets 240 tonnes of US-linked output by 2027
Córdoba-based Productos Esenciales has secured its first orders from US functional-beverage company Yerba Madre for 20 tonnes of organic yerba mate extract worth about $400,000. The Argentine producer plans to raise output for the relationship to 100 tonnes in 2026 and 240 tonnes in 2027.
A new route into US functional beverages
Argentine family company Productos Esenciales has secured its first purchase orders from Yerba Madre, opening a potentially significant US sales channel for organic yerba mate extract. The initial orders cover approximately 20 tonnes and revenue of close to $400,000, according to Córdoba business publication InfoNegocios.
Productos Esenciales was founded in Córdoba in 2010 by Manuel Van Cauwlaert. It began by developing and marketing natural ingredients for the food industry before specializing in yerba mate extracts, aromatic herbs and essential oils. Yerba Madre, headquartered in California and also present in Brazil and Argentina, is described by the Argentine supplier as accounting for close to 90% of the US market for yerba mate-based functional beverages.
From supplier search to commercial orders
The relationship began in July 2025, when Yerba Madre started looking for additional suppliers of organic yerba mate extract. Growing demand and changes in the cost of exporting from Brazil prompted the US company to strengthen its supply arrangements using Argentine raw material. The qualification process included samples, technical analysis, production adjustments and certifications.
Productos Esenciales completed a five-tonne pilot run in February 2026. Quality and production personnel from Yerba Madre travelled from the United States and Brazil to audit the process in Córdoba. Approval of the pilot led to the first 20-tonne commercial orders.
The Córdoba company now makes two products specifically for Yerba Madre: Root 2.5% Organic Yerba Mate Dry Extract, produced exclusively from organic yerba mate, and an 8.5% Organic Yerba Mate Dry Extract formulated with organic caffeine and organic maltodextrin. Spray drying for the first shipment was handled by Arroyito-based ADIN S.A., which provides processing services but does not market the finished extract.
Output plans and available capacity
Productos Esenciales expects to produce 100 tonnes of yerba mate extract during 2026 and aims to reach 240 tonnes in 2027 as US demand expands. The 2027 target is 12 times the volume of the initial order. Existing capacity is approximately 35 tonnes per month, or about 420 tonnes annually, indicating that the projected volume remains within the company’s installed capacity.
The producer employs 15 people and concentrates production, product development, sales and foreign-trade operations in Córdoba. Its latest closed financial year generated revenue of approximately ARS 1.357 billion, while exports currently account for around 15% of income. It already conducts international business in the United States, Paraguay, Brazil, India and Dubai and is evaluating projects in Europe.
Certifications support export expansion
Supplying the US beverage market required Productos Esenciales to adapt and certify its production system. Its plant holds organic, Fair For Life, Kosher, FSSC and ISO certifications, as well as US Food and Drug Administration registration needed to export food to the United States.
The company is also expanding beyond yerba mate. It has obtained the Latin American representation of Indian botanical-ingredient producer Vidya Herbs and continues to develop finished products, including the ILEX Natural Energy drink. For Productos Esenciales, the Yerba Madre contract is therefore both a sizeable order and a test of its ambition to make international business a primary growth engine for a Córdoba-based natural and functional ingredients platform.
