There has been a 13% increase in exports of fresh fruits and vegetables from the Sophia based Central Packaging Facility (CPF) for the first six months of this year as compared to 2002.

A release from the Government Information Agency (GINA) on Monday said exports of fresh produce had increased from 418 tonnes from January to June of 2002 to approximately 475 tonnes for the same period this year.

Among the fresh produce showing noticeable increases, particularly to Barbados, are boulanger, cabbages, bora and eddoes.

The release further noted increases in exports to Barbados of pineapples, 16%, and pumpkin exports have increased by 95% over the same period.

However there have been reductions in exports of crude coconut oil and copra.

According to the release, General Manager of the New Guyana Marketing Corporation, Nizam Hassan is optimistic that overall exports of non-traditional crops could increase by 15% over 2002.

Exports of non-traditional produce, both fresh and processed items, netted the country $721M last year as produce was sold to both regional and extra-regional markets.

Among the destinations are Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and St Lucia in the Caribbean and the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

However the amount of produce exported to Barbados is limited by the number of cargo flights. Measures are in place to have more of these flights arranged, Hassan said.