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Difference between Cash Crops and Food Crops
Crops are plants that are grown and harvested by the farmer for consumption purposes or to gain profit. Cash crops and Food crops are the different kinds of crops with notable differences between them.
What are Cash Crops?
Cash crops are crops that are grown with the intention of obtaining profit by selling them. These crops can either be consumed directly or processed into other final products.
Cash crops largely contribute to the setting up of institutions that enable more commercialization. These crops not only offer employment opportunities in many communities but also helps the farmers in the generation of capital.
A few examples of cash crops are coffee, tea, cocoa, wheat, and cotton.
What are Food Crops?
Agricultural crops which are mainly grown for consumption purposes are known as food crops. Farmers here grow just what is enough to fulfill their own personal needs, so, in this kind of farming, decisions are mainly made on the basis of the family’s needs and wants.
Some food crops are tubers, fruits, legumes, vegetables, and cereals.
Differences between Cash Crops and Food Crops
The following table highlights the major differences between Cash Crops and Food Crops −
Factors | Cash Crops | Food Crops |
|---|---|---|
Objective | The main purpose of growing cash crops is
to generate profit. | The main purpose of growing food
crops is to feed the farmers. |
Method of
farming | A lot of importance is given to farming if
cash crops, pesticides, and fertilizers are
used to increase the level of output to gain
more profit. | The method of farming here is
different compared to cash crops;
no effort is made to increase the
yields. |
Market type | These crops are grown for international
markets either as consumption goods or as
raw materials for manufacturing industries. | These crops are grown for domestic
consumption purposes only. |
Crop
productivity | Importance is given to crop productivity in
cash crops which maximizes the yield and
leads to an improvement in the level of
marketability. | Crop productivity is also considered
important in food crops, but no
direct measures have been taken in
this direction. |
Policies | Many policies have been implemented to
safeguard cash crop farming, like pricing
and quality of food products. | Not many policies have been set up
in the case of food crop farming. |
Risk
involved | In the case of cash crops, a lot of risk
factors have to be taken into consideration,
like the quality of produce, soil degradation,
and price variability. | In the case of food crop farming, it
does not involve as many risks;
even if it does, it can be easily
sustained. |
Conclusion
Both these crops that are cash crops and food crops, have enabled the farmers to grow economically and have reduced the dependence on government and international aid; they play an important role in the transition towards sustainable agricultural practices, they are important for economic growth, and can either be sold locally or internationally. We can also see that farmers have diversified their farming techniques with an aim to cope with the risks of crop or harvest failure.
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