Indian Cash Crops is a crop grown for its commercial value with the objective of making profit by selling them. Cash Crops in India form the strong base over which the Indian trade and commerce flourish both within and outside the country. Earlier, cash crops were grown in a very small scale but today these are grown in large scale which forms a major contributor to the nation"s economy. One of the major occupations of the people of India is agriculture and a huge percentage of the total population depends on it.
Types of Indian Cash Crops
In India, Cash crops are divided into three major groups:
Fibres: Fibre crops form the most important Indian cash crop and Jute is one of the notable Indian cash crops which accounts for the maximum profit among all the cash crops in India.
Cotton is a major fibre cash crop in India. It grows abundantly in regions like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. India is the principle producer of Jute in the World. The major jute producing states are Assam, West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Meghalaya and Bihar. India is the second largest producer of sugarcane. The major sugarcane producing regions are Bihar, Punjab, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.
Drugs and Beverages: Among the drugs and beverages, tobacco, tea and coffee are the major Indian cash crops. Tobacco was brought to India by the Portuguese. The major tobacco producing regions are Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Bihar. India is the second producer of tea in the world. It is mainly grown in hilly regions like West Bengal, North East India and South India. India ranks 6th in the world in coffee production. More than half of the total coffee production in India is produced by Karnataka alone, followed by Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Oilseeds: Oilseeds produced in India include groundnut, mustard, coconut, sesame, soy bean, castor seeds, linseed and sunflower. Madhya Pradesh ranks first in the total oilseeds production followed by Rajasthan and Gujarat.
Importance of Indian Cash Crops
Earlier cash crop was small but vital for the farmers but today, almost all plants are growing for revenue. Cash crop is very demanded in the developed countries. Due to the population they have huge request of these crops which is necessary for their living.
Apart from these there are several other cash crops grown in different states of India which contributes to the country"s economy and its overall growth.
