Banana exports to Europe have gone up 80 per cent since last year. Agriculture Secretary Eligio Jáquez says 70,000 boxes were shipped weekly in August of 2000 and that rose to 126,000 boxes a week by October 2001. That increase represents RD$10 million over the same time frame. Jáquez attributes the substantial increase to projects that improved the banana export infrastructure such as irrigation systems, packing plants, the donation of fungicides and other products to prevent plant diseases.
