Which term describes farming systems typical of large estates producing cash crops, often in the tropics?

• A. Plantation Agriculture
• B. Shifting Cultivation
• C. Sedentary Farming
• D. Intensive Farming

Answer: (A)

Plantation agriculture describes farming on large estates dedicated to a single cash crop for export, typically located in tropical regions. This system is driven by commercial goals, with crops like sugar, cocoa, tea, rubber, or coffee and often owned by companies or wealthy landowners who hire laborers. The combination of large scale, tropical location, and focus on a single crop for markets abroad is what makes this term the best fit for the description. Shifting cultivation involves small, movable plots cleared by burning and is usually subsistence-based, not large estates. Sedentary farming means settled farming in general and doesn’t specify large scale or export crops. Intensive farming emphasizes high inputs and yields and can occur in various settings, not specifically large tropical estates producing cash crops.