Chilean wheat cycle facts for kids

In Chile, the wheat cycle refers to two periods when Chile exported a lot of wheat. This also led to big changes in society and farming. The first cycle happened from 1687 until the wars for independence. It was caused by a high demand for wheat in Peru. Wheat was so important that the 18th century in Chile is sometimes called the wheat century.

The second wheat cycle began in the mid-1800s. This was because of the gold rushes in California and Australia. This cycle ended around the 1870s during a time called the Long depression.

First Wheat Cycle

Chile has a long history of sending cereals to Peru. This started in 1687. At that time, Peru was hit by a big earthquake. It also suffered from a plant disease called stem rust.

Chilean soil and climate were much better for growing cereals. Chilean wheat was also cheaper and better quality than Peruvian wheat. Historians say the 1687 events just started the exports. The Chilean Central Valley, La Serena, and Concepción were the main areas that exported wheat to Peru.

Compared to the 1800s, the area growing wheat was very small. Production was also modest. At first, large Chilean farms, called latifundia, could not grow enough wheat. They did not have enough workers. So, they hired temporary workers in addition to their regular staff.

Another way these large farms dealt with worker shortages was to act as merchants. They would buy wheat grown by independent farmers. They also bought from farmers who rented land. Between 1700 and 1850, buying wheat from others was often more profitable.

The wars for independence in Chile (1810–1818) and Peru (1809–1824) hurt the wheat industry. Trade was stopped, and armies in Chile took food from the countryside. The Guerra a muerte phase was very destructive. After the wars, there was a period of outlaw banditry. This lasted until the late 1820s. Trade with Peru did not fully recover after these struggles.

Second Wheat Cycle

In the 1800s, Chile could sell wheat to California and Australia. This made wheat export very profitable. In the mid-1800s, these countries had huge gold rushes. This created a very high demand for wheat. At that time, Chile was the only major source of wheat on the Pacific coast.

During this wheat cycle, new irrigation canals were built. Farmers also started beekeeping and used some new machines. Chile also looked for new markets for its farm products.

The wheat boom did not last very long. By 1855, California could grow enough wheat for itself. From 1858 onwards, California even started exporting wheat to Chile. The Australian gold rush of 1851 reduced the number of workers in farming there. This forced Australia to import wheat from Chile. This helped keep Chilean wheat exports going after the Californian market disappeared.

After the gold rushes in California and Australia ended, these regions began exporting wheat. They competed with Chilean wheat. From the mid-1860s, Chile started sending its wheat to England. The "cycle" ended in the late 1870s. This was because farming in the United States and Argentina became more advanced. Also, Russia and Canada started competing. The end of the wheat cycle made the difficult economic situation in Chile even worse in the 1870s. However, exports to England continued until at least 1890.

See also

In Spanish: Ciclo del trigo chileno para niños