Puerto Rico to Import 10M Pounds of Coffee

Puerto Rico (AP) – Puerto Rico will import 10 million pounds (4.5 million kilograms) of coffee after rains destroyed much of this U.S. Caribbean territory’s key crop, a top agriculture official said Monday.

Puerto Rico was expected to harvest about 18.5 million pounds (8.4 million kilograms) of coffee this year, said Jose Orlando Fabre, head of the agriculture department.

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Puerto Rico will solicit prices to begin importing coffee in mid-February or the beginning of March.
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The coffee purchase was expected to cost up to US$14 million (euro11.5 million), which was what Puerto Rico paid last year for the 10 million pounds of coffee it purchased from Mexico.

Puerto Rico hopes to receive bids from Mexico, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Peru, Brazil and Honduras.

Some 32 million pounds (14.5 million kilograms) of coffee are consumed each year in Puerto Rico, Fabre said.