Trinidad Cocoa
Channel: Baba Kii Sun
Date: 2022-12-25

Unique genetic diversity. Trinidad and Tobago produces some of the world's highest-grade cocoa beans. The first variety of cacao was planted in Trinidad by Spaniards in 1525 and was known as the Criollo. The cultivation of Cocoa, however, began in the 18th century with the establishment of Stollmeyer Cocoa Estate in the Santa Cruz Valley. It has since been rename to La Pastora Cocoa Estate. Other estates developed around that time were the Champs Elysees Estate, Maraval and the Ortinola Estate in the Maracas Valley. Research shows that in the late 1800s, the Charlotteville Estate, Tobago was converted to a Cocoa Estate. As for the development of the Cocoa estate that occurred, “after 1890” (Brereton 82).

Trinidad and Tobago was once responsible for “producing 20% of the world’s cocoa, and by 1830 was the world’s third highest producer of cocoa.” (Bekele 1). This was a time when Cocoa was considered to be king. Calamity struck in the mid-1900s and almost decimated the cocoa industry causing a great decline in cocoa production. Tobago was vastly affected by Bird pest (parrots), and Hurricane Flora, 1963. Trinidad to a great extent was affected by diseases such as Phytophthora infection during World War I, and Witches Broom.

Today, cocoa continues to be harvested but at a smaller scale. The variety most grown in Trinidad and Tobago is the Trinitario a locally developed hybrid of the Criollo and the Forastero cocoa. Harvesting cocoa is done through picking, gathering, and extracting the beans. Traditionally cocoa beans are separated from the cacao pods with a machete (also called a cutlas) or wooden club.

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