DR company looking to make Guyana cocoa-producing nation

…details plan during meeting with President Ali

Dominican Republic (DR)-based Rizek Cacao, one of the world’s largest producers of organic cocoa, is looking to work with the Guyana Government and local farmers to establish a cocoa industry here.
Earlier this week, President Dr Irfaan Ali met with a high-level team from Rizek Cacao, which was led by the ambassador of the DR to Guyana, Ernesto Torres Pereyra.

With the intention of establishing operations in Guyana, the team made a presentation on their project at the Office of the President on Monday. President Ali was joined by Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha during the meeting.
“The company indicated plans to collaborate with the Government and local farmers to develop Guyana into a cocoa-producing nation,” a Facebook post from the Office of the President detailed.
This meeting comes on the heels of Guyana and the Dominican Republic signing an agreement back in July 2025 to commence large-scale cocoa and coffee cultivation in Region One (Barima–Waini).
The agreement outlines plans to establish approximately 200 acres each of coffee and cocoa as part of Guyana’s broader efforts to boost economic diversification, enhance rural livelihoods, and expand regional trade.
At peak production, the project is expected to yield approximately 8000 metric tonnes of cocoa.
Additionally, nearly 3000 individuals are projected to benefit both directly and indirectly from employment and economic opportunities generated through the initiative.
The agreement will also pave the way for joint research and development programmes, as well as value-added production and trade facilitation in the cocoa and coffee sectors.
That agreement builds on President Ali’s strategic vision for agricultural revitalisation in the Barima–Waini.
During a May 2024 outreach to Waramuri Village in Region One, the Guyanese leader had highlighted the region’s enormous agricultural potential and announced plans to establish a 10,000-acre coffee plantation featuring Arabica and Liberica varieties.
President Ali had noted the Government’s commitment to restoring Region One as a prominent coffee-producing area through strategic investment and the distribution of thousands of cocoa plants.
Subsequently, in October 2024, a high-level team from Rizek Cacao was in Georgetown to discuss the possibility of establishing a cacao farm here.
During a meeting at the Agriculture Ministry, Minister Mustapha had informed the delegation that Guyana was looking to revitalise its cocoa industry, as cocoa, the main by-product of cacao, is widely used in several industries globally.
Commercial Counsellor and Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of the Dominican Republic in Georgetown, Alexander Sarante, had noted at the time that in addition to introducing large-scale cocoa cultivation methods pioneered by Grupo Rizek, the company also discussed Dominican-style housing initiatives for Guyana.
According to its website, Rizek Cacao has been a cocoa grower in the DR since 1905. Known for its passion in cocoa production, the company said its farms are distinguished by the excellence of their genetic material and the extraordinary post-harvest treatment.

The company added that all of its cocoa is processed at a unique facility, resulting in beans with distinctive flavour profiles. According to the website, Rizek Cacao said it is the only company in the cacao industry with a fully equipped research and development (R&D) department for cacao and chocolate alongside a traceability software developed in-house.