Hoy newspaper reports that of the total national production of coffee of about 560,000 quintals last year, Dominicans consumed 90%. Producer Hector Jos? Rizek said that in 2002, exports totaled about 80,000 quintals and that he expects production this year to increase to 600,000.
Rizek also explained that cacao production yielded approximately 48,000 metric tons last year. Of that amount, 42,000 metric tons were exported. Rizek explained that these are good times for cacao, with prices up from US$700 per metric ton a year and a half ago, to US$2,000 at present.