Definition

Noun: A crop produced primarily for sale to generate profit, rather than for personal use or consumption by the grower. It is cultivated specifically for the commercial market.

Usage

The term "cash crop" is used to describe agricultural products grown on a large scale for sale in local, national, or international markets. It contrasts with subsistence crops grown for a farmer's own family. The focus is on economic return.

Examples

• Noun:
  • Coffee is a major cash crop for many countries in Latin America.
  • The farmer decided to switch from wheat to soybeans because the latter was a more profitable cash crop.
  • The economy of the region depends heavily on tobacco as a cash crop.

Advanced Usage

• "to grow something as a cash crop": This phrase emphasizes the intentional cultivation for market sale.
  • Many smallholders now grow avocados as a cash crop.
• The concept is often discussed in economics, agriculture, and development studies concerning trade, monoculture, and economic dependency.

Variants and Related Words

• Commercial crop: A near-synonym emphasizing the market-oriented nature of the cultivation.
• Export crop: A type of cash crop specifically grown for sale in foreign markets.
• Subsistence crop (Antonym): A crop grown primarily to feed the farmer's family, with little or no surplus for sale.

Synonyms

• Commercial crop
• Profit crop

Related Phrases

• Cash crop agriculture: The farming system focused on producing crops for sale.
• Cash crop economy: An economic system heavily reliant on the revenue from such crops.

Notes

The term inherently involves concepts of market demand, profitability, and often large-scale farming. Its use can imply both economic opportunity and potential risks, such as vulnerability to price fluctuations or environmental strain from monoculture practices.

Noun

1. a readily salable crop that is grown and gathered for the market (as vegetables or cotton or tobacco)