MANAGUA, Feb 9 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) – Nicaragua will increase its coffee production to 1.8 million tones in the current harvest representing a 22 percent hike over last year’s production, reported the National Coffee Council (CONACAFE).

According to a report published by La Voz del Sandinismo Bulletin, so far 141 million pounds of coffee have been harvested from the 180 million planned for 2009-2010 period.

However production will be lower than the two million initially planned for the current period which would have represented a rise of 40,000 million pounds compared with the 2008-2009 season that ended last Oct, CONACAFE said.

Heavy rain and humidity provoked by the climatic phenomenon El Niño stimulated rapid coffee ripening and this in turn has reduced to two the regular three blossomings, the report explains.

It also points out that harvest reduction in Colombia has helped Nicaraguan coffee obtain better prices in the international market and this will offset income decrease caused by a drop in production.

According to CONACAFE, the price today of 100 pounds of coffee is US$131 dollars in the international market. — NNN-PRENSA LATINA

• MP: LEBANESE TROOPS SEARCH FOR ‘TERRORISTS’ ON SYRIA BORDER
• SYRIAN ASSAULT ON HOMS KILLS 50: OPPOSITION
• STEPS UNDERWAY TO GET SRI LANKAN FISHERMEN RELEASED FROM SOMALI CAPTIVES
• NO SPACE FOR TERRORISM, MILITANCY, EXTREMISM IN ISLAM - PAKISTAN PM GILANI
• PRES KARZAI: CAR BOMBING KILLS 9, WOUNDS 19 IN SOUTH AFGHANISTAN