Cooperativa Agricola de la Colonia Liebig LTD

What Cooperativa Agricola de la Colonia Liebig LTD does

Cooperativa Agricola de la Colonia Liebig is an Argentine agricultural cooperative founded in 1925 by German immigrants in Colonia Liebig, Corrientes, Argentina, approaching its 99th anniversary. The cooperative has 132 associated producer members and operates a vertically integrated yerba mate production business under the brand names Playadito, Liebig Original, and Yemaypé, with annual production of approximately 46 million kilograms of finished yerba mate. Playadito is described as a market leader in the Argentine yerba mate category. Beyond its core yerba mate operations, the cooperative has diversified into forestry, a sawmill, livestock, and beekeeping, leveraging its land and producer network to broaden its revenue base.

The cooperative exports to more than 29 countries and distributes domestically through retail channels as a consumer packaged good. Revenue mechanics are tied to wholesale and retail sales of packaged yerba mate and ancillary diversified agricultural products, with no public financial disclosure. Industrial capability has been built over time, including a mill plant and Volpak packaging equipment inaugurated to support scale processing. The cooperative is led by president Ricardo Daniel Handziak and operates as a member-owned entity without external funding.

The cooperative also maintains the Embassy Playadito cultural program in partnership with Fermín Ybarra Producciones, producing chamamé music compilations that promote Argentine cultural heritage; this program supports brand-building and premium positioning rather than direct revenue. Cultural ambassador Gerardo Bond represents the brand. The combination of branded packaged goods, export distribution, vertical diversification, and cultural sponsorship defines the cooperative's commercial identity.

Name

Cooperativa Agricola de la Colonia Liebig LTD

Legal name

Cooperativa Agrícola de la Colonia Liebig Limitada

Website

https://cooperativaliebig.com.ar

Company type

Private

Founded year

1925

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cooperativa Agricola de la Colonia Liebig is an Argentine agricultural cooperative of 132 producers that manufactures and distributes approximately 46 million kilograms annually of yerba mate under the Playadito, Liebig Original, and Yemaypé brands, serving mass-market retail consumers in Argentina and 29+ export markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Yerba Mate Production

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Beverage Manufacturing (3121)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Non-Alcoholic Beverage Co-Packing (Soft Drinks, Juice, RTD) (AFAFAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAD)

Keywords

• Yerba mate products
• Agricultural cooperative
• Yerba mate processing
• Mate cocido tea
• Timber operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Colonia Liebig

HQ country

Argentina

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Yerba Mate Production and Sales: Primary revenue stream from processing and selling yerba mate products under multiple brands (Playadito, Liebig Original, Yemaypé, Mate Cocido) in various presentations (250g to 2000g packages, tea bags). Annual production of 46 million kilos of finished product.
2. Sawmill and Timber Operations: Processing of timber from own forests and external sources. Products include sawn timber sold to local markets and pallets manufactured from classified timber.
3. Livestock/Cattle Operations: Diversification into cattle ranching as part of the cooperative's economic diversification strategy.
4. Forestry Operations: Own forest production supporting the sawmill operations and providing timber resources.
5. Beekeeping/Apiculture: Diversification into honey production as part of the cooperative's diversified economic activities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The company is an Argentine agricultural cooperative that processes and markets yerba mate products under its own brands, primarily Playadito (with over 40 years in the market), Liebig Original, and Yemayp\u00e9, in multiple package sizes and formats including traditional, despalada, terer\u00e9, herbal, and mate cocido tea bags. It also operates a sawmill producing sawn timber and pallets from its own and externally sourced forests, alongside diversified activities in livestock and beekeeping.

Product overview

Cooperativa Agrícola de la Colonia Liebig is an Argentine agricultural cooperative that produces and markets yerba mate products under multiple brands. The core product portfolio centers on the Playadito brand (over 40 years in market) as the flagship line, offering traditional yerba mate with stem, despalada (stemless), tereré (cold infusion), and herbal varieties. Additional offerings include mate cocido (instant tea bags), the premium Liebig Original sub-brand commemorating the 80th anniversary, and the Yemaypé sub-brand featuring northern Misiones-origin yerba. The cooperative also offers merchandise including mates, thermoses, and yerba containers. The products are produced through a controlled process from harvest through aging, milling, and packaging, with an annual production capacity of 46 million kilos of finished product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Playadito: Flagship brand with over 40 years in the market. Available in variants: Tradicional, Despalada, Elaborada con Hierbas, and Tereré. Leading yerba mate brand in Argentina.
• Liebig Original
• Yemaypé

Products and services

• Playadito Elaborada con Palo Traditional yerba mate blend with stem featuring homogeneous leaf cut, balanced stem content, low dust, and gluten-free certification. Made from selected raw materials from Colonia Liebig and northern Misiones with controlled aging, available in multiple sizes for consumers seeking smooth, long-lasting flavors.
• Playadito Elaborada Despalada Yerba mate made exclusively from leaves with stem separated during processing. Features low dust content and special packaging to preserve flavor, aroma, and color while protecting against humidity.
• Playadito Terer\u00e9 Yerba mate specially conditioned for cold beverage infusions. Features relatively large leaf and stem pieces with low dust content. No added sugars, sweeteners, flavorings, or other herbs. Recommended with water, juices, or sodas.
• Playadito Elaborada con Hierbas Traditional Playadito yerba mate with added selected herbs including cedr\u00f3n (lemon verbena), manzanilla (chamomile), peperina (mint variety), and salvia (sage).
• Mate Cocido Playadito Instant mate tea in filter paper bags containing 3g of selected leaves. Available in boxes of 25 or 50 bags without packaging, or 20 bags with hermetic envelope packaging for extended freshness.
• Yerba Mate Liebig Original Premium yerba mate created for the cooperative's 80th anniversary in honor of its pioneers. Made from selected green field-grown yerba mate leaves produced in Colonia Liebig, Corrientes, with distinctive processing for a unique taste experience.
• Yerba Mate Yemayp\u00e9 Yerba mate made from selected raw materials from northern Misiones, a premier production zone. Features monte (wild-grown) leaves providing a more intense flavor than traditional varieties, with an average 12-month aging process.
• Kit Playadito en caja contenedora Starter kit containing 500g package of Playadito Elaborada con palo yerba mate, one glass mate wrapped in leather (50g capacity, various colors), and one alpaca bombilla with gold-colored alloy accents.
• Sawn Timber and Pallets (Aserradero) Sawn timber sold to local markets plus pallets manufactured from classified timber, produced from own forests and external timber sources.

Quantifiable outcome

• 46 million kilos of yerba mate produced annually
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Fermín Ybarra ProduccionescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Production partner for the Embassy Playadito cultural music program. Fermín Ybarra Producciones has produced multiple volumes of the Embassy Playadito CD series since 2006, documenting and preserving Argentine chamamé music tradition. The production company is based in Corrientes, Argentina and specializes in folk music recordings.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Romance: Argentine yerba mate brand with a portfolio of traditional and premium variants. Operates in the same domestic market and competes with Playadito on quality positioning and price.
• Cruz de Malta: Long-established Argentine yerba mate brand with national distribution. Sells traditional and flavored variants that directly overlap Playadito's product range, making it a clear shelf competitor in Argentine retail.
• Establecimiento Las Marías: One of Argentina's largest yerba mate producers and the maker of the Taragüi and Amanda brands. Direct competitor to Playadito in Argentine retail with comparable scale, vertical integration (own plantations, processing, packaging), and multi-brand portfolio. Operates in the same Corrientes/Misiones region.
• CBSé (Compañía de Bebidas y Servicios): Argentine yerba mate producer with strong national presence and differentiated flavor extensions (flavored yerba mate). Competes with Playadito across both traditional and innovation-driven product segments.
• Kraus: Argentine yerba mate producer with national distribution and a broad product portfolio including traditional, despalada, tereré, and herbal variants. Competes with Playadito across similar price tiers and retail channels.
• La Virginia: Established Argentine yerba mate and food company with broad distribution and a traditional product portfolio. Competes directly with Playadito in mainstream Argentine retail.
• La Cachuera (Amanda): Argentine yerba mate producer best known for the Amanda brand. Operates in Misiones province with vertical integration similar to Cooperativa Liebig. Direct competitor with comparable production capacity and traditional product range.
• Rosamonte: Major Argentine yerba mate brand and producer, with deep market share and traditional positioning. Competes head-to-head with Playadito on retail shelf in Argentina and exports to multiple international markets. Comparable mid-market product portfolio and regional sourcing.

Broad incumbents

• Molinos Río de la Plata: Large Argentine food and beverage conglomerate (part of Grupo Pérez Companc) with diversified CPG brands including yerba mate. Competes with Cooperativa Liebig across retail channels and offers greater financial scale and capital access as a competitive advantage.

Emerging players

• Guayakí Yerba Mate: US-based yerba mate brand driving global category awareness through DTC, café, and natural-channel distribution. Different scale and go-to-market model than Cooperativa Liebig, but addresses the same end consumer globally and competes for shelf space in export markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PlayaditoOficial
• Instagraminstagram.com/playaditooficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cooperativaliebig

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cooperativa Agricola de la Colonia Liebig LTD