cash crop

noun

: a readily salable crop (such as cotton or tobacco) produced or gathered primarily for market

Examples of cash crop in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Image The Philipps are part of a resurgence of interest in growing saffron among American small farmers in search of a cash crop, and among cooks and backyard gardeners seeking the thrill of growing the spice. Jane Black, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2025 As the famine exposed the fragility of cereal farming under climate stress, farmers increasingly turned to opium as a reliable cash crop. Scott Travers, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024 To survive, these farmers would likely have to stop planting basic crops, such as wheat, corn, and rice, and shift to cash crops, such as coffee, tea, and fruits, which could bring in the income for certification. Amrita Narlikar, Foreign Affairs, 4 Apr. 2013 Rather than growing crops that could sustain the local food supply, the Europeans who began arriving in the 1600s focused on exploitative extractive economic models and export cash crops through the plantation economy. Farah Nibbs, The Conversation, 22 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cash crop 

Word History

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cash crop was in 1868

Dictionary Entries Near cash crop

Cite this Entry

“Cash crop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cash%20crop. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.

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