366 



COCOA 



CHAP. 



VI. VENEZUELA 1 



A century ago Venezuela was the most important 

 cocoa-growing country. It exported three times more 

 than Ecuador. Half a century ago, however, its cocoa 

 export was already surpassed by Ecuador, but by no 

 other country. But since then its place among the 

 cocoa-growing countries has become less prominent, and 

 Trinidad, as well as much younger cocoa countries such 

 as Brazil and San Thome, have become more important, 

 so that Venezuela now occupies only a fifth place, or 

 sometimes even a sixth place, being in many years also 

 surpassed by San Domingo. 



As regards quality of the produce, however, Venezuela 

 keeps a premier place, as its Criollo produce is un- 

 surpassed, and its Forastero yields also produce of 

 high quality. From this point of view as well as from 

 a historical one we may call Venezuela the classical 

 home of cocoa, and especially of Criollo cocoa. 



Jumelle 2 gives some interesting facts about the 

 history of cocoa enterprise in this country. 



In 1634 Dutchmen, established in Curagao, induced 

 the Venezuelans to export cocoa to Europe. Though 

 Spain prohibited cocoa export to any other country, 

 still the Venezuelans went on selling cocoa to Dutch 

 and English merchants in a clandestine way, and this to 



1 Very little was known about cocoa culture in Venezuela before Preuss 

 gave us his excellent work (Expedition, etc.). I have to thank Mr. Sgobel in 

 Caracas for much valuable information about cocoa in Venezuela. 



2 Jumelle, Gacaoyer (1900), p. 145. 



