Complex sentence: The need for intensive agriculture was recognized as early as 1776; but, aside from the yerba mate harvest in the northeast, attempts to develop it suffered setbacks due to internal strife and lack of skill and machinery.
Split into simpler sentences: The need for intensive agriculture was recognized as early as 1776. Sside from the yerba mate harvest in the northeast, attempts to develop it suffered setbacks due to internal strife and lack of skill and machinery.