Cash crop Definition
In agriculture, a cash crop is a crop which is sold for money. The term is used to differentiate from crops that are not sold, such as those fed to livestock or grown as food for the producer's family.
In tropical and subtropical areas, coffee, cocoa, sugar, bananas and oranges are common cash crops. In cooler areas, grain crops, and some vegetables, predominate.
Prices for major cash crops are set in commodity markets with global scope, with some local variation (called basis) based on freight costs and local supply and demand balance. A consequence of this is that a nation, region, or individual producer relying on such a crop may suffer low prices should a bumper crop elsewhere lead to excess supply on the global markets.