Cash Crops for Small Farms

Cash crops are those products that are grown with export value. Likewise, cash crops are highly demanded in the global commodity market.

However, it is not only for large farms but there are also cash crops from small farms.

Cash cropping has many advantages for the farmers and their families. The crops vary in tropical and subtropical areas. Unlike in traditional farming, growing cash crops is for the purpose of generating money. This means that after harvesting the crops it will be sold in the market to earn profit. Usually, farmers cultivate cash crops to obtain money to sustain the family’s needs.

Methods of Cash Cropping

Whether you are farming cash crops in small farms or large farms you should employ farming methods. Apparently, the methods differ depending on the preference of the farmer as well as the location of the farm. Developing countries employ customary practices of farming. However, in industrialized countries they use mechanized farming and intensive cultivation. In like manner, mono cropping is the common method of growing single crop while multi cropping is ideal for subsistence farming.

The Difference between Cash Cropping and Subsistence Cropping

Unlike cash cropping, subsistence cropping is employed to sustain the needs of the family. It is also used to feed the livestock of the farmer including the animals. Aside from being the source of living of the farmers, cash cropping also improves the wages and salaries of the farm workers and other employees. The good thing is that it gives contribution in the government revenue in the form of taxes. In this sense, even small farms also engage in mono cropping when growing cash crops. However, proliferation of insects and soil degradation is the result. The produce can be directly sold in restaurants and small local stores that need fresh vegetables or herbs.

If you are planning to grow cash crops you should first determine the crops that will grow in the soil of your farm. In deciding for the plant to grow you should take into consideration the benefits of the crops. If you want to grow vegetables you should choose the most popular vegetables. You should observe the yields of each crop so that you will determine if there is potential income. In this way, you will know the kind of vegetables that worth growing. On the other hand, you should also diversify growing cash crops. Keep in mind that you can obtain more customers if you will offer several crops instead of only one crop.

6 Comments

  • aminu bobbo said on May 30, 2011
    i am a corn farmer in the northeastern part of nigeria, west africa. i want to venture into beef cattle farming and would want tips on starting to be successful, thank you.
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  • Joe said on June 6, 2014
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