Economic importance of plantation crops

1. Export earnings:
   
   Plantation crops occupy less than 3 per cent of the total cultivated area (i.e. 1.82 per cent of total crop land – 4 million ha. out of 143.00 million ha. i.e. around 2.3%).
2. Leading position in the world:
   India is leading in the total production of certain plantation crops in the world. Eg: Tea, Cashew, Arecanut, Coconut and Rubber.
3. Employment opportunity:
   
   Plantation crops provide direct and indirect employment to many people. Eg: Tea- 20 lakhs people- Cashew-5 lakhs people
4. Industrial importance:
   Production industry supports many byproduct industries and also many rural industries. Eg: Coconut Fiber (obtained from husk) production in India is about 2.2 lakh tones.
5. Conserving soil and ecosystem:
   Eg: Tea and coffee with shade trees planted on hill slopes Cashew in barren and waste lands – Both are protect soil from water and wind erosion.