Question

In terms of value of agricultural production the most important cash crop in India is
1. Cotton
2. Oil seeds
3. Sugarcane
4. Tobacco

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 1 : Cotton

The correct answer is Cotton.

• Cotton is one of the most important fibers and cash crops of India and plays a dominant role in the industrial and agricultural economy of the country.
• It provides the basic raw material (cotton fiber) to the cotton textile industry.
• Cotton in India provides direct livelihood to 6 million farmers and about 40-50 million people are employed in the cotton trade and its processing.
• India is the fourth-largest producer of cotton in the world. China, the USA, and Pakistan grow more cotton than India.
• Cotton is cultivated in about 45% of the total sown area in the country.
• In India, there are ten major cotton-growing states which are divided into three zones, the north zone, the central zone, and the south zone.
  • The North zone consists of Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan.
  • The central zone includes Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat.
  • The south zone comprises Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.

• An agriculture crop grown to get profit is referred to as a cash crop.
• A cash crop is solely produced to export or sell rather than for consumption by the person who grows it.
• Economists use the term cash crops to refer to any crop that is easily sold in the open market, such as sugarcane, cotton, or tobacco.