Subject: Crop
Unit 1.1: Crop Production and management | Crop Cultivation
Introduction to Cash Crop
Table of Contents:
- Introduction………………………………………………………………………………1
- Production………………………………………………………………………………..2
- Production in Nepal………………………………………………………………………3
- Importance of Cash Crop.…….………………………………………………………….4
- Production Limitation of Cash Crop…………………………………………………..5
- Enhancement of Cash Crop Production…………………………………………………6
Introduction
Around the world, farming is done in a variety of methods Depending on the geographical circumstances, the need for the output, the labor pool, and the level of technology, agriculture can be categorized into two major categories. They are commercial and subsistence farming. While subsistence farming is done for the farmer’s family’s consumption, monsoon mainly affects subsistence farming. Animals and labor are more important in subsistence farming. Commercial farming is done to make a profit. Commercial farming includes the production of cash crops.
A crop farmed for commercial purposes is known as a cash crop or profit crop. The word is used to distinguish between marketed crops and staple crops (also known as “subsistence crops”) in subsistence farming, which are varieties that are farmed for the producer’s family or own livestock. Cash crops used to make up a small but important portion of a farm’s overall production, but today, especially in developed nations, practically all crops are farmed primarily for commercial purposes and the developing countries tend to farm the crops that are in higher demand from the developed countries as a cash crop. Cereals, oilseeds, coffee, chocolate, sugar cane, vegetables, fruits (including avocado and oranges), peanuts, cotton, and tobacco are a few examples of common cash crops.
Production of Cash Crop
The following crops are grown on the largest amount of land worldwide:
- Rice
- Wheat
- Soybeans
Each of these crops is grown on more than a million square kilometers of land worldwide; wheat alone covers more than two million square kilometers. These plants are so common because they are the main source of grains for the majority of cultures in the globe. In a lot of Europe and parts of North America, wheat is the main crop. In Central and South America, maize is a common food, while rice is common throughout most of Asia. Given that they are an oil-producing crop and that soybean oil is consumed all over the world, soybeans rank high on the list.
Production in Nepal
Oilseed, Jute, potato, tobacco, and sugarcane are the main cash crops produced in Nepal. The winter crop lentil outpaces all other pulses in terms of production (65.76%) and (62.93%) area covered. Comparing 2018–19 to 2009–13, there has been a rise in cash crop area, production, and productivity of 18%, 34.38%, and 14.1%, respectively. The utilization of high-yielding cultivars and technological advancements has significantly increased Nepal’s production of cash crops. In addition to modern technology, factors including the condition of the soil’s fertility, crop management techniques, the caliber of seeds, the climate, and the prevalence of pests and diseases also account for differences in agricultural production in Nepal.
Importance of Cash Crop
Cash crops are essential to ensuring both the farmers’ financial stability and the general public’s food security. The various aspects all exhibit the significance of cash crops. Increased income from cash crop farming can help farmers raise their level of living. Additionally, it aids in expanding employment prospects in the agricultural and agro-based industries, strengthening the economy as a whole. The food demand increases as the population of the world increases. Finding solutions to meet that need becomes necessary at that point. Growing such crops is a crucial step in achieving global food security and globalization because it focuses on increasing yields and product quality.
Production Limitation of Cash Crop
Pressures from things like soil erosion, biodiversity loss, and climate change are getting worse. The cultivation of cash crops initially requires money to invest in seeds, fertilizer, property leases, machinery, warehousing, and labor due to the significant investment required in cash crop farming the production percentage and cost can be a part of the challenge, and the limitations. Degradation of the soil has an impact on the quality and quantity of the output as well as harvest failures brought on by pests or droughts are major limitations. Some of the drawbacks of growing cash crops also include the lack of consistency in product quality and price fluctuation within markets.
Enhancement of Cash Crop Production
Efforts should be taken to guarantee that both rural and urban residents should be provided basic education for free or at a very low cost. These will facilitate their learning of highly advanced farming techniques that increase productivity for example the farmers can be taught about modern techniques such as the adoption of a superior set of techniques i.e. line sowing, weed control, and harvesting at the proper time or when the crop is physiologically mature, to prevent pod splitting and reduce shattering losses, Utilization of enhanced seeds from different pulses, etc. To produce high-quality agricultural products for the entire world, governments should facilitate farmers to access lands for starting and advancing their farms for commercial purposes. Additionally, governments should lower the costs of essential farm inputs like seeds, fertilizer, herbicides, etc, and grant incentives and loans at a reasonable amount.
