Question

Discuss the important characteristic features of plantation agriculture. Name a few important plantation crops from different countries.

Accepted Answer

Plantation agriculture was introduced by the Europeans in colonies situated in the tropics. It was introduced as a profit-oriented large scale production system. Today, the ownership of the majority of plantations has passed into the hands of the government or the nationals of the countries concerned. The characteristic features of this type of farming are large estates or plantations and large capital investment. It requires managerial and technical support and uses scientific methods of cultivation. Other key features include single crop specialisation, the employment of cheap labour, and a good system of transportation which links the estates to factories and markets for the export of products. Some of the important plantation crops are tea, coffee, cocoa, rubber, cotton, oil palm, sugarcane, bananas, and pineapples. Different countries developed specific crops: The French established cocoa and coffee plantations in West Africa. The British set up large tea gardens in India and Sri Lanka, rubber plantations in Malaysia, and sugarcane and banana plantations in West Indies. The Spanish and Americans invested heavily in coconut and sugarcane plantations in the Philippines. The Dutch once had a monopoly over sugarcane plantation in Indonesia, and some coffee fazendas in Brazil are still managed by Europeans. — The answer is derived directly from the 'Plantation Agriculture' section of the provided text. The first paragraph covers the origin and nature of plantation…

Explanation

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