When one starts to discuss, however briefly, the producing areas, one ought first to take off one's hat to Ecuador, for so long the principal producer, and then to Venezuela the land of the original cacao, and producer of the finest criollo type. Having done this, one ought to say words of praise to Trinidad, Grenada and Ceylon for their scientific methods of culture and preparation; and, last but not least, the newest and greatest producer, the Gold Coast, should receive honourable mention. It is interesting to note that in 1918 British Possessions produced nearly half (44 per cent.) of the world's supply.
Whilst the war has not very materially hindered the increase of cacao production in the tropics, the shortage of shipping has prevented the amount exported from maintaining a steady rise. The table below, taken mainly from the "Gordian," illustrates this:
WORLD PRODUCTION OF CACAO.
| Total in tons (1 ton = 1000 kilogrammes) | |||
| 1908 | 194,000 | 1914 | 277,000 |
| 1909 | 206,000 | 1915 | 298,000 |
| 1910 | 220,000 | 1916 | 297,000 |
| 1911 | 241,000 | 1917 | 343,000 |
| 1912 | 234,000 | 1918 | 273,000 |
| 1913 | 258,000 | 1919 | 431,000 |
The following table is compiled chiefly from Messrs. Theo. Vasmer & Co.'s reports in the Confectioners' Union.
CACAO PRODUCTION OF THE CHIEF PRODUCING AREAS OF THE WORLD.
| (1 ton = 1000 kilogrammes). | |||||
| Country. | 1914 | 1915 | 1916 | 1917 | 1918 |
| Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | |
| Gold Coast[1] | 53,000 | 77,300 | 72,200 | 91,000 | 66,300 |
| Brazil | 40,800 | 45,000 | 43,700 | 55,600 | 41,900 |
| Ecuador | 47,200 | 37,000 | 42,700 | 47,200 | 38,000 |
| San Thomé | 31,400 | 29,900 | 33,200 | 31,900 | 26,600 |
| Trinidad[1] | 28,400 | 24,100 | 24,000 | 31,800 | 26,200 |
| San Domingo | 20,700 | 20,200 | 21,000 | 23,700 | 18,800 |
| Venezuela | 16,900 | 18,300 | 15,200 | 13,100 | 13,000 |
| Lagos[1] | 4,900 | 9,100 | 9,000 | 15,400 | 10,200 |
| Grenada[1] | 6,100 | 6,500 | 5,500 | 5,500 | 6,700 |
| Fernando Po | 3,100 | 3,900 | 3,800 | 3,700 | 4,200 |
| Ceylon[1] | 2,900 | 3,900 | 3,500 | 3,700 | 4,000 |
| Jamaica[1] | 3,800 | 3,600 | 3,400 | 2,800 | 3,000 |
| Surinam | 1,900 | 1,700 | 2,000 | 1,900 | 2,500 |
| Cameroons | 1,200 | 2,400 | 3,000 | 2,800 | 1,300 |
| Haiti | 2,100 | 1,800 | 1,900 | 1,500 | 2,300 |
| French Cols. | 1,800 | 1,900 | 1,600 | 2,200 | 1,700 |
| Cuba | 1,800 | 1,700 | 1,500 | 1,500 | 1,000 |
| Java | 1,600 | 1,500 | 1,500 | 1,600 | 800 |
| Samoa | 1,100 | 900 | 900 | 1,200 | 800 |
| Togo | 200 | 300 | 400 | 1,600 | 1,000 |
| St. Lucia[1] | 700 | 800 | 700 | 600 | 500 |
| Belgian Congo | 500 | 600 | 800 | 800 | 900 |
| Dominica[1] | 450 | 550 | 300 | 300 | 300 |
| St. Vincent[1] | 100 | 100 | 75 | 50 | 75 |
| Other countries | 3,200 | 3,000 | 3,500 | 3,500 | 3,500 |
| Total | 275,900 | 296,100 | 295,400 | 344,000 | 275,600 |
| Total British Empire | 102,000 | 128,000 | 120,000 | 153,000 | 119,000 |
