Tragic Death of Entrepreneur Obaida Kabour Shakes Argentina’s Mate Industry

Tragic Death of Businessman Obaida Kabour

POSADAS – On the National Mate Day, the yerba community of Misiones and Corrientes was shocked by the news of the tragic death of businessman Obaida Kabour. He was 47 years old and died after crashing his vehicle into a bus on Route 19 near Comandante Andresito, in the northwest corner of Misiones, close to Brazil.

Kabour was driving with Juan Selent, a fellow prominent yerba producer from Paraguay, who also lost his life in the accident. The bus driver suffered serious injuries and required hospitalization, according to reports from Primera Edición.

Authorities from the Andresito Police Station, part of the Regional Unit IV in Puerto Iguazú, are investigating the accident to determine its causes. A further report is expected soon.

Obaida Kabour was the main exporter of yerba mate in Argentina, exporting primarily to Syria and other countries in the Middle East. Last year, the group he led accounted for nearly 80% of Argentina’s yerba mate exports, totaling 39.7 million kilos, which equals 13% of the country’s internal consumption.

Following Kabour’s company in terms of export volume are La Cachuera and Piporé. In recent years, due to currency exchange issues that discouraged exporting, Kabour had been making some of his overseas sales from Paraguay.

Kabour moved to Comandante Andresito in 2008, taking charge of the family business operations. The company, Kabour SRL, was founded in 2007 by his brothers, who continue to operate the group from Syria. The firm has offices in Puerto Madero and also runs industrial operations in Syria, where they pack yerba under their own brands alongside coffee, tea, and other food products.

Andresito, which was established toward the end of the military dictatorship, now serves as a vibrant center for yerba production. It is known for having some of the highest-performing yerba fields in the country.

With heavy investments, Kabour developed a modern industrial complex featuring one of the largest drying facilities in the province, along with a mill. The group exported yerba mate in bulk (unpacked) in large bags of 50 kilos, with dozens of trucks daily transporting containers to ports for shipment to the Middle East.

Recently, Obaida Kabour had been exploring the possibility of exporting yerba tea to support his group, aiming to improve harvesting and quality to replace imports from countries like Sri Lanka, India, Kenya, and Vietnam.

Kabour was known for being private yet friendly, with many close friends in the yerba industry. He had two twin daughters living in Lebanon and often traveled by truck around Andresito to manage his business.

People in the yerba community expressed their sorrow over his death. Juan José Szcychowski, former head of the National Institute of Yerba Mate (INYM), called him “a great person with strategic vision.” Renzo "Yoni" Klimiuk, another businessman, shared fond memories, saying, "He was a positive person; he will be greatly missed."