Cash Crops In Agriculture | Meaning And Importance

Hi, welcome to this hall on the topic, Cash crops in agriculture, factors and Importance

Important Cash Crops In Nigeria

1. Cocoa
2. Kola
3. Oil palm
4. Groundnut
5. Cotton
6. Rubber
7. Beniseed

Meaning Of Cash Crops

Cash Crops: These are crops grown for sale to provide money either for individuals or for the nation when they are exported.

Some important cash (export) crops produced in Nigeria and where they are produced are shown below.

1. Cocoa – Akure, Ibadan, Abeokuta.
2. Kola – Akure, Ibadan, Abeokuta.
3. Rubber – Sapele, Benin City, Akure, Calabar.
4. Oil palm – Aba, Owerri, Port Harcourt Benin, Okitipupa.
5. Groundnut – Kano, Kaduna, Bauchi, Kastina.
6. Cotton – Zaria, Kaduna, Kano, Bauchi.
7. Beniseed – Makurdi, (Benue state).

1. Cocoa: Cocoa is a tree crop known mainly in the western part of Nigeria around akure, abeokuta and ibadan. Cocoa is one of the most important export crops in Nigeria.

Conditions Necessary For Cocoa Cultivation

Physical Factors

• Moderate rainfall between 125cm to 200cm January – October.
• It requires an undulating and well drained soil.
• It requires an average temperature of about 27°C.
• It requires shade for the cocoa seedlings.
• It requires deep, clayey, rich and non-acid soils.
• A dry period between December and February for drying the beans.

Human Factors

• Availability of labour.
• Presence of good transport network.
• Favorable market for cocoa products.
• Matured or ripe cocoa pods are harvested with knife and cracked to remove the beans which are later fermented and dried, graded and exported. Some are used locally by beverage Industries to produce food drinks like bournvita and pronto.

2. Oil Palm: Oil palm is also a tree crop grown mainly in the Eastern part of Nigeria around Aba, Owerri, Port Harcourt, Benin City (Edo state) and okitipupa (Ondo state).

Palm oil and palm kernel, the major products of oil palm are important export products in Nigeria.

Conditions Necessary For Oil Palm Cultivation

Physical Factors

• Oil palm requires an average temperature of not less than 24°C.
• It requires a heavy rainfall of 200 – 300cm per annum.
• It requires abundance of sunshine.
• It also requires a deep loamy soil which is slightly acidic.

Human Factors

• Availability of labour and good markets.
• Good transportation network.

Oil palm takes 3 – 5 years to be matured. The ripen fruits are harvested, boiled and with the aid of hand screw press or hand hydraulic press, the oil is extracted from the fruit which is later refined to get palm oil.

The nuts are cracked in order to get the Palm kernel.

Palm oil and palm kernel can be consumed locally or exported to other countries.

3. Groundnut: Groundnut is one of the important export crops grown in the North, especially in Kano, Zaria, kaduna, sokoto, Bauchi, etc.

Conditions Necessary For Groundnut Production

• Groundnut requires a wide plain for easy cultivation.
• It requires a rainfall of 50 – 100cm per annum.
• It also requires a long dry season when the fruits can be dried and stored.
• It requires a loose sandy soil which makes planting and harvesting easy.
• Availability of cheap labour.
• Availability of a large market.
• Availability of Transport such as roads and railway to move groundnut to the seaport for shipment abroad.

Matured and ripen groundnut pods are harvested, dried and packed with sacks which are later transported to the seaport for exports or to the local market where they are sold for local consumption and use.

4. Cotton

Conditions Necessary For Cotton Production

• Moderate rainfall between 60cm and 125cm.
• High temperature of about 27°C for growth, ripening and harvesting, rich clayey loamy soil.
• Well-drained soil.
• Dry sunny period for ripening of the bolls.

5. Rubber Production

Condition Necessary For Rubber Production

• Moderate temperature of about 27°C
• Heavy rainfall up to 250cm.
• Distribution of rainfall.
• Deep soil.
• Humus soil.
• Abundance of sunshine.

Importance Of Cash Crops

1. Provision of jobs and employment.
2. Source of income to farmers.
3. Foreign exchange earnings.
4. Provision of clothing and shelter.
5. Provision of market for industrial goods.
6. Provision of raw materials for Industries.
7. Provision of agricultural research.

Revision Questions

1. (a) What is the meaning of cash crops? (b) Outline five Cash crops in agriculture (c) Discuss the importance of cash crops.
2. What are the conditions necessary for cocoa cultivation?
3. Briefly state the areas where oil palm, groundnut, rubber, kola, cotton are produced.