Commercial Crops
Cotton, jute, sugarcane, tobacco and oil seeds are commercial crops. These crops are not consumed for food by the cultivators. They said the farmers to get the money they require for their needs. These crops are grown for commercial purposes and for supplying raw materials for other Industries. So they are known as cash crops.
Cotton requires hot climate and moderate rainfall. it grows well in black cotton soil. Now the farmers are encouraged to grow sea island cotton which has long staple. The area consisting of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and part of Tamil Nadu is called the cotton zone.
In Tamil Nadu cotton is grown on a large scale in the districts of Coimbatore, Madurai, Ramanadhapuram and Thiruneiveli.
Just like rice, sugarcane requires fertile soil, high temperature and good irrigation. We get Jaggery and white sugar from sugarcane. Sugarcane has been originated in India and afterwards spread to Java and Cuba. it is largely grown in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
Jute grows in a hot climate with a heavy rainfall in rich alluvial soil. India is one of the largest jute growing countries in the world. Gunny bags are made from the jute fiber. Jute is grown in West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa and Assam. It yields exports gains for our country.
Tobacco is used for the manufacture of cigarettes. cigars and snuff. It grows well in areas having hot climate and moderate rainfall. It can be grown with the help of irrigation also. Tobacco is grown in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka Gujarat and Maharashtra. Cigars made in India have a famous world market.
Apart from the food grains mullets and pulses human beings require certain amount of oil in their diet. India is a producer of several oil seeds. Chief among them are linseed, Sesamum and Ground nuts. Coconuts are largely grown in the wet regions of the west coast.
Sesamum is largely grown in Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh. Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Castor is grown all over India and in Andhra Pradesh in particular. Much of castor produced is exported as seed and oil. This oil is not edible.
Linseed is mainly grown in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan. It is used in the paint industry.
Ground nut oil, Gingelly oil and Mustered oil are edible oils. Some oil cakes are used as cattle feed and some as manure.
