73 Edible Product*. 



The Cultivation of Cacao in Ceylon. I. 



By Herbert Wright. 



(Illustrated.) 



It is a matter of common knowledge that the value of Ceylon cacao has, 

 daring the last few years, fallen considerably, and had it not been found that this 

 product could be profitably cultivated as a permanent intercrop with Para and 

 Castilloa rubber, the industry would in all probability have remained stationary. 

 While the value of Ceylon cacao has recently shown a decline, that of many 

 other countries has not done so, and judging from the numerous local applications 

 regarding the varieties to be selected, the suitability of each kind in conjunction 

 with rubber, and other matters, it appears necessary to consider our position and 

 see what improvements are possible. In the Matale, Kurunegala, Dumbara and 

 other districts the combined cultivation— cacao and rubber — is rapidly extending, 

 and seems likely to prove a very remunerative one. 



The output and value of cacao from Ceylon are obvious from a consideration 

 of the following supplied by the Principal Collector of Customs, Colombo :— 



Statement showing the quantity and value of Cacao exported from the 

 Island of Ceylon during the years 1875 to 1905 :— 



Year. Quantity. 



Total 

 Value. 



Value 

 per cwt. 



Year. Quantity. 



Total 

 Value. 



Value 

 per cwt. 





Cwt. qr. 



lb. 



Rs. 



Rs. cts. 





Cwt. 



qr. 



lb. 



Rs. 



1875 



No heading in Returns. 

















1876 





do 









1891 



20,015 



2 



19 



1,200,940 



1877 





do 









1892 



19,176 

 29,775 



3 



2 



1,342,373 



1878 



10 











100 



10 



00 



1893 



3 



3 



2,121,524 



1879 



42 











2,290 



54 



52 



1894 



22,791 



3 



11 



1,139,592 



1880 



121 



1 



24 



3,500 



28 



92 



1895 



27,522 



3 



20 



1,128,440 



1881 



282 



3 



3 



15,405 



54 



62 



1896 



33,890 



3 



5 



1,101,450 



1882 



864 







15 



46,488 



53 



80 



1897 



35,121 







24 



1,299,484 



1883 



3,376 



3 



20 



151,961 



45 



01 



1898 



38,098 



3 



21 



1,676,353 



1884 



9,241 



1 



26 



323,451 



35 



00 



1899 



42,527 



2 



26 



1,875,047 



1885 



7,466 



1 



22 



298,657 



40 



00 



1900 



33,696 



3 



12 



1,651,146 



1886 



13,056 







24 



548,361 



42 



00 



1901 



47,471 











2,321,331 



1887 



17,460 



1 



12 



838,097 



48 



00 



1902 



61,476 











2,537,764 



1888 



12,231 







6 



580,975 



47 



50 



1903 



59,098 











2,248,145 



1889 



18,849 







18 



999,005 



53 



00 



1904 



67,355 











2,448,354 



1890 



15,942 



2 



1 



797,125 



50 



00 



1905 



69,431 











2,433,556 



Rs. cts. 



60 00 



70 00 



71 25 

 50 00 

 41 00 

 32 50 



37 00 

 44 00 

 44 00 

 49 00 

 48 89 

 41 27 



38 04 

 36 34 

 35 04 



The price of Rs. 70 per cwt. obtained in 1892, as against that of Rs. 35 per cwt. 

 in 1905, takes us back to the most vital consideration, i.e., the variety or quality of 

 the cacao grown and exported during these periods. Since the ravages of the disease 

 or diseases affecting the stems and pods first became prominent in Ceylon, there has 

 been a tendency to replace the old Criollo or Caracas variety with the more 

 prolific varieties of Porastero and Amelonado, in the belief that the latter was 

 not as liable to the ravages of parasitic fungi. Now, however, the planters are 

 beginning to realise that all varieties of cacao at present cultivated in Ceylon are 

 liable to be affected by the same diseases, and when the latter appear in the fluted 

 and high stems of the Porastero variety are very difficult to effectively excise. 

 There has been, during the last two or three years, a distinct tendency to plant 

 the old Caracas type in preference to the Forastero ; the change of variety can 

 be shown to be one of the factors responsible for the varying value placed upon 

 the cacao exported from Ceylon. 



10 



