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Cocoa dominated the economy in Trinidad and Tobago during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Introduced into Trinidad in the sixteenth century, it became the dominant crop during the depression in sugar prices in the 1880s and 1890s and helped the economy of Trinidad and Tobago avoid the worst of the economic depression in the British West Indies.

Cocoa remained a major factor in the economy but was displaced by the combined impacts of the Great Depression, disease outbreaks and the rise of the oil industry.

Background

Cacao cultivation was reportedly introduced to Trinidad in 1525 by the Spanish, who cultivated native Criollo varieties. Commercial cultivation began around 1678 with the introduction of plants from Venezuela. Trade in cocoa was established in the early eighteenth century, but the industry was wiped out by a "blast" (of unidentified origin) in 1727. Forastero cacao was introduced from Venezuela in 1757 where it crossed with remaining Criolla trees to produce a hybrid, Trinitario.

Cacao cultivation increase following the 1783 Cedula of Population, and expanded more after Emancipation, as formerly enslaved people established small farms. Between 1840 and 1866 the cocoa industry was "moderated prosperous", but high prices led to a boom between 1866 and 1920.

Rise of cocoa

Sugar cane production suffered a prolonged crisis beginning in the 1880s as it was unable to compete with heavily subsidised European beet sugar. As sugar production in Trinidad and Tobago suffered from low prices, cocoa production expanded many-fold and became the leading export.

At a time when the sugar industry consolidated and sugar estates were bought up by British interests, cacao cultivation was in local ownership. Both large-scale and medium-sized estates were primarily controlled by French Creole planters. Venezuelan immigrants and local Trinidadians of Spanish mestizo origin (collectively known as Cocoa panyols) and Black peasant farmers also engaged in cacao cultivation.