PLANTATION AGRICULTURE General Study PLANTATION AGRICULTURE What is

PLANTATION AGRICULTURE General Study

PLANTATION AGRICULTURE What is Plantation Agriculture? Plantation agriculture is a commercial tropical agriculture system which is essentially export-oriented. Where does Plantation Agriculture takes place? Mostly in tropical and sub-tropical regions like Central and South America, Southern and South-eastern Asia Why do people practice Plantation Agriculture? • For better variety of crops (eg. food, fruits) • Income for the farmers, as the crops would be exported • To meet increasing demand of food from the increasing population

CHARACTERISTICS • A single crop is grown over a large area • Well-developed network of transportation and communication, connecting plantation areas, processing industries and markets together • Production is mainly for the market and not for the farmers’ self-consumption • Involves modern inputs like chemical fertilisers, insecticides and pesticides • Modern machinery is needed • Labour-intensive

Inputs • Large land area • Large number of workers (labour-intensive) • Huge sum of capital • Infrastructures • Chemical fertilisers, pesticides and insecticides • Modern Machinery

Process Select the land (warm temp. and adequate rainfall) Plough the soil Seedlings are planted Some are harvested after 3 -5 years 8 -10 years of planting, the plantation will be harvested Application of fertilisers, pesticides and insecticides

Outputs • Wider variety of crops • Huge profits • Crops exported to other countries

ADVANTAGES • More job opportunities for the people • Source of income for the country • Wider variety of food • Effective use of vast land

DISADVANTAGES • Local people may be exploited as cheap labour, leading to slavery • Growth of a single crop makes plantations very prone to diseases, poor weather and the fluctuation in world market prices • Fertile soil for crops exported, rather than for self-consumption

PROBLEMS FACED • Technology advances, reducing the need of plantation agriculture • HYV (High-yield varieties) Short growth periods • Shortage of workers • Deforestation • Destroy natural habitats

RESOURCES IMAGES: http: //images. google. com. sg/imghp? hl=en CONTEXT: http: //library. thinkquest. org/26634/forest/farming/plantation. htm http: //www. alfredhartemink. nl/plantations. htm http: //www. slideshare. net/ http: //wiki. answers. com/