Cash Crops

A cash crop is considered to be a type of crop which is manufactured for sale. In return, the cultivator and the seller get profits. A cash crop is an agricultural produce which is most often purchased by parties separate from a farm. Cash crop is a term which is referred to as an agricultural production of plants. It does not include the animal agriculture terminology. Cash crop is a term which is used solely as a demarcation from marketed crops as well as from subsistence crops. Subsistence crops are those types of crops which are fed to the producer's own livestock. They can alternatively be grown as food for the producer's family. Previously, the cash crops were usually only a small part of a farm's total yield. Nowadays, these cash crops especially in the developed countries are mainly grown for revenue. In the developed countries, it is the cash crops which attract more demand and hence, have some export value.

The prices of the major cash crops are set taking into the commodity markets having global appeal. There may be a slight local variation which is known as "basis". This is because it is based on freight costs, local supply and demand balance. The major disadvantage arises when a region, nation or for that matter even an individual producer relying on such a crop may have to suffer low prices because of a bumper crop elsewhere. This can lead to an excess supply on the global markets. Such a system has been criticized by many of the traditional farmers.

On the other hand, cash crops are those types of crops which are grown to earn money. This is why, the term Cash Crop makes it different from the subsistence crops. In a country, like India, Cash Crops form the strong base over which the Indian agricultural industry flourishes both within and outside the country. Previously, the cash crops were grown on a small scale. However, they are now grown in large scale thereby forming a major contributor to the nation`s economy. Fiber crops are considered to be the most important cash crop. On the other hand, Jute is considered to be a popular Indian cash crops and the production of jute is responsible for the best profit from amongst all of the cash crops in India.

Main Cash Crops in India are:

• Cotton
• Jute
• Sugar Cane
• Tobacco
• Oil Seeds

Cotton

Cotton is seen growing in the form of a ball and is also a fiber crop. It was thought that India started the plantation of cotton for the first time. However, cotton was considered to be planted by the people of Indus Valley civilization. It is from cellulose that cotton is made. In textile industry, cotton is a very important raw material to be used. India stands on the third position in the cultivation of cotton after America and Africa. In order to grow Cotton, it needs a dry climate as well as black soil. The region which is producing cotton should have less rainfall and also the climate must be very hot. It is in the states of Karnataka, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Haryana that one can find cotton growing in India.

Jute

Jute is also synonymously known as the golden crop or fiber. Jute is regarded to be a very important fiber which is grown in our country. It is used for manufacturing many different kinds of items such as bags, mats and ropes. Jute requires a well-drained fertile soil and grows best in flood plains. This is because the soil there is renewed each year. A disadvantage of growing jute is that it entails a high cost. That is why, it has been replaced by synthetic fibers which are now available in the market. The best climate for the growth of jute should be approximately 24 to 35 degree Celsius. It is in the Indian states of Assam, Bihar, West Bengal, Meghalaya and Orissa that jute can be found growing. India is placed next to Bangladesh as the largest producer of jute.

Sugar Cane

It is in the tropical regions that sugarcane can be grown. It requires perennial grass to grow as it forms lateral shoots which are located at the base. They in turn bring about multiple stems. These stems are three to four meters high and approximately five cm in diameter. The stems take the form of cane stalk. On maturity, it consists of 75% of the entire plant. It is very sensitive to the climate, irrigation, soil type, insects, fertilizers, varieties, disease control and also the harvest period. On an average, the yield of cane stalk is 60–70 tonnes per hectare annually. In spite of it being a cash crop, it can also be used as livestock fodder.

Tobacco

Tobacco belongs to the family of Nicotiana of the Solanaceae family. All in all, one can find as many as 70 species of tobacco. Cigars, snuff, cigarettes, chewing tobacco, pipe tobacco and flavored shisha tobacco are the many different types of products which can be manufactured form tobacco. Tobacco can also be used in plant bioengineering as well as in ornamentals. Its chemical components can be used in the pesticides and also medications.

The growth of tobacco is very much like other agricultural products. It is in the cold frames that its seeds are sown so as to prevent it from the attacks of the insects. It is later on transplanted into the fields. Being an annual crop, it is harvested either mechanically or by hand. When the harvest of tobacco is over, it is stored for curing with the help of bundling, hanging or placing it in large piles having tubular vents. It is with the help of these vents that heat is allowed to escape from the center.

Oil Seeds

Seed oil is considered to be a form of vegetable oil. It is obtained from the seed which also known as the endosperm of the same plant, rather than from its fruit. Many of the vegetable oils are typically seed oils. Examples can be canola oil, sunflower oil and sesame oil.

Some Seeds Oil is given below:

• Groundnut
• Sesamum
• Rape Seed and Mustard
• Lin Seed
• Castor Seed

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