(Geography) Location Factors - Sugar, Tea, Coffee, Rubber and Cocoa For UPSC General Studies Mains Paper 1 Print

9/23/13 Mrunal [Geography] Location Factors: Sugar, Tea, Coffee, Rubber and Cocoa for UPSC General Studies
s Mains Paper 1 Print

mrunal.org/2013/07/geography-location-factors-sugar-tea-coffee-rubber-and-cocoa-for-upsc-general-studies-mains-paper-1.html/print/ 1/20
[Geography] Location Factors: Sugar, Tea, Coffee, Rubber
and Cocoa for UPSC General Studies Mains Paper 1
1. Prologue
2. Plantations: Why?
1. Types of Plantation crops
2. Factor: Gestation
3. Factor: Price shocks
3. Sugar industry
1. Factor: Nature of Raw material
2. Desi-Sugar
3. Cuba the Sugar bowl
4. Sugar beet
5. Tea
1. Black vs Green
2. Factor: break of the bulk (London)
3. Tea: Darjeeling
4. Tea: China
6. Coffee
1. Factor: American Revolution
2. Brazil: Sao Paulo
3. Coffee: Kerala
7. Rubber Plantations
1. Processing of Natural Rubber
2. Factor: technology
3. Rubber: Malaysia
4. Rubber: Kerala
5. Factors: Why decline in S.America
8. Cocoa
1. Ghana, Cocoa Triangle
2. Factor: Processing
9. Mock Questions
Prologue
In the last three articles, we saw
1. timber and fish industry
2. Natural fibers: wool, cotton, silk and jute
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9/23/13 Mrunal [Geography] Location Factors: Sugar, Tea, Coffee, Rubber and Cocoa for UPSC General Studies Mains Paper 1 Print
3. Wheat, Corn, Milk, Meat, Pig, Poultry, Vegetable and Wine
Now lets examine location factors for a few beverage and
plantation crops viz. tea, coffee, cocoa, sugar and rubber.
Disclaimer as usual: not covering everything.
Plantations: Why?
Factors responsible for development of plantations in Asia and
America:
1. Suez Canal was opened in 1869= this reduce the distance
between Asia and Europe
2. sail based ship were replaced with steam based ship=faster,
more carrying capacity
3. Industrial revolution= demand for rubber as eraser,
waterproofing material+ consumer demand for tea, coffee,
tobacco.
4. imperialism:
a. cheap labour = already available in colonies
b. Capital/finance= provided by Europeans.
there is some difference in the origin of Asian vs. American
plantations:
American
plantations
Asian plantations
usually owned by rich
families
Setup, Financed and controlled by
commercial companies based in
Europe.
was started with help
of African slave labor.
with help of locals + indentured
laborers from India, China.
Types of Plantation crops
Three types based on relative maturation time and longevity of
production
type character
1. tree crops
lifecycle >2 years
take years to mature
remain productive for long period
oil palm, coconut, cocoa, rubber,
coffee
2. field crops
Need less maintenance than tree
crops.
sugarcane, banana
3. annuals
single planting, harvested within a year
cotton, jute, tobacco, groundnut
Factor: Gestation
Plantation of rubber, cocoa, coffee= need large scale
investment, you will not see profit for many years, until the
tree matures.
Such crops are unsuitable for small scale planter because he
cant afford to keep land unproductive for more than a year.
Annual crop are better suited for smallholder, they allow
greater flexibility in planting followed by a harvest the same
year. Hence plantation system has almost retreated from
sub-tropics: they instead grow tobacco/cotton.
Factor: Price shocks
Even when the commodity prices fall in the world market,
the plantation owner must continue to operate, he cannot is
rapidly switch to another crop.
On the other hand small scale farmers can grow an
alternative crop to fetch them higher price. E.g. Many UP
farmers have shifted to other crops.
Sugar industry
Factor: Nature of Raw material
Sugar mills are located near sugar growing areas, because of two
factors
1. Perishable
sugarcane = contains sucrose
Once you cut the sugarcane, the
sucrose content starts to decline.
Hence raw material must be quickly
transported.
sugar accounts for only ~10% of the
2. Weight-
loss
bulky sugarcane and therefore it is
prohibitively expensive to transport
sugarcane over long-distance in its
original form.
Sugar Mill and sugar refinery of two separate location
principles
Sugar mill
Sugar
refinery
Input sugarcane
raw Coarse
brown sugar
(from sugar
mill)
Process
Sugarcane is
crushed between
rollers=sugar
juice.
Sugar
juice+lime=boiling
and crystallization.
raw sugar
is refined
output
1. raw coarse brown
sugar= need further
refining
2. bagasse => fodder,
energy, paper-pulp
industry,
3. molasses=>
ethanol
Brown and white
sugars of
various grades.
LocationPrinciple
Must be located near
sugar-farming areas
because sugarcane being
bulky-perishable. e.g. in
Uttar Pradesh,
Maharahstra, South
Gujarat.
In
countries
like Japan
(which
rely on
imports),
the sugar
refineries
are setup
@ports or
near
market
centers.
Lets examine the factors that led to growth Desi-videsi sugar
industries
Desi-Sugar
Limiting factor=proximity to raw material. So sugar mills are
located in 30-50 kms radius of sugar-cultivating areas.
State Location (list non-exhaustive)
Maharahstra
Western Maharashtras river valleys
Sangli, Solapur, Satara
Ahmednagar, Pune, Nasik
Uttar Pradesh
Western UP and Terai region
Meerut, Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar
Sitapur, Gorakhpur, Sharanpur
Tamilnadu Coimbtore, Tiruchirapalli
Karnataka
Chitradurg, Shimoga
Bijaipur, Belagaum, Bellary
Andhra Hyderabad, Nizamabad
Sugar mills: Maharashtra
factor impact
climate
For sugar, warmer climate=better yield=>
Maharashtra grows thicker variety of
sugarcane.
Proximity to Ocean=the difference between
minimum and maximum temp. During crop-
maturity months=very low=>increases sugar
yield.
sugar crushing season is longer
soil
Black lava soil=fertile + retains water=>good
for growth.
energy
Mills use bagasse as fuel (recall Bagasse
cogeneration) = dont need coal.
transport Mumbai Port = helps in export.
labour available
Sugar: Uttar Pradesh
factor impact
soil
potash-lime in soil=helps in growth.
upper gangetic plain=rich fertile.
water Ganga, Yamuna and their numerous tributaries
energy use bagasse instead of coal for energy.
transport Dense road-network, flat terrain =easy transport.
labor
Seasonal and migratory labour available=cost of
production low.
market
large population=> high demand for gur, khandsari,
sugar.
govt. sugar pricing=covered in a separate article. click me
Factor: North vs South
1. In South India: No loo, no frost+ moderating effect of
ocean=ideal for sugarcane growth.
2. But the sugarcane cultivate/industry in South India is not as
large as UP-Maharashtra belt, Why?
a. During British-raj, North India used to cultivate indigo
as cash crop but then invention of synthetic
dyes=>farmers switched to sugarcane.
b. In South India, farmers have better cash-crop
alternatives e.g. cotton, tobacco, coconut, groundnut
etc. so you dont see a large sugarbelt unlike UP.
Ratooning technology
developed by Research insti. @Coimbatore
ratoon crop= during harvest, you dont uproot sugarcane,
leave the root intact => sugarcane grows again from that
root.
Advantage: time, money saved.
challenge: sugar-yield decreases on every cycle, after 1-2
years, you need to start fresh.
Cuba the Sugar bowl
factor impact
climate
Hot climate, the north east trade winds=
increase sugar yield.
sugarcane
Fertile calcareous soil= Crops are obtained twice a
year.
capital
Large influx of American capital after the
Spanish American war helped sugar industry
of Cuba.
WW1 destroyed the farms in Europe, =
Americans had to rely more on Cuban Sugar=
prices soared, Americans invested more
money in Cuban mills and bought more area
under sugar cultivation.
market
Cuba faces the USA (the greatest sugar
market in the world)
not very far off from the north west European
countries
labor Initially started using slave labor.
govt.
policy
Until Fidel Castro took over in 1959, the
main export market was USA, but afterwards
most of the sugar was exported to USSR and
other communist countries.
Castro confiscated the American owned
plantation and Estates, and redistributed land
among workers = smaller landholdings=
economy of scale declined=>unit production
cost got higher.
So, later he organized cooperative and Sugar
collectives. (like we saw in earlier in Rice:
China)
Now passing references
USA
sugar is grown in Louisiana and Hawaii
but industry is highly mechanized because
lack of labour
Mauritius,
Fiji
sugarcane Grown with help of indentured labour
from India.
Sugar beet
German-climate unsuitable for sugar-cultivation.
They had to rely on imports=sugar-shortage during wartime.
Therefore, Germans developed a method to extract Sugar
from sugar beet, and encouraged the cultivation of sugar
beet for the strategic reasons of self reliance during war-
time.
Later industry spread in Belgium and France as well.
In European countries, cool autumn retains the sugar content
in root= higher yields.
Sugar juice makes up to 20% of the root= significant
weightloss. Therefore, just like sugarcane, sugar beet must
be processed quickly at nearby factories
But sugarbeet Factories cannot be fed consistently and only
operate during the harvest season= increases cost of
running.
Tea
Factors impact
raw
material
Tea leaves => tea involves considerable
weight loss. Hence tea processing is done
in the estate/plantation itself.
further blending/repacking could be done
break of the bulk location (e.g. port cities
like London)
Climate
frost=injures the leaves=>tea not grown
beyond Northern China / Honshu
very long winter=retards plant growth,
decreases yield
Topography
doesnt like stagnant water=> has to be grown on
highland or hill slopese.g. hills of Darjiling,
Jalpaiguri or Nilgiri
Labor
Weeding, manure, pruning and plucking=
tedious job: need skill+ patience=>cheap
female labour force is essential. (recall the
same factor for sericulture development in
India, China)
Since tea has to be grown in hill slopes,
mechanization =not possible (like in case
of wheat in Canada/corn in US)
Even while drying, rolling, fermentation,
grading and packaging of tea, skilled
manpower needed.
Therefore, tea plantation is done near areas
with high population density.
Black vs Green
black tea green tea
leave sun dried=>steam
rolled
=>fermented=>roasted.
result=considerable
weighloss hence
processing done @the
estate itself before
exporting.
leaves heated immediately
with steam, not allowed to
ferment
Result=tannin content is
higher, gives a peculiar
taste and kick.
Indians and Europeans
like black tea
People in far east and Japan like
green tea more. They consume it
without adding sugar/milk
(obviously because this region
doesnt a have well developed
dairy industry.)
Factor: break of the bulk (London)
Break of the bulk=place where mode of transportation
changes e.g. waterway to railways.
The rise of London Tea Biz
In the era of Colonization, British controlled Indian and Sri-
Lankan tea estates and had sphere of influence in China.
Therefore, lot of tea went to London port and from London
the large consignments were broken, various blends were
mixed and tea was re-exported to other European countries
+ USA (which was a colony of Britain at that time) + local
consumption.
The fall of London Tea Biz
In world history, we saw that Americans revolted against the
tea-tax imposed by Britain= Boston Tea Party, and then
American war of independence= Thus tea export to USA
declined, product became expensive, Americans shifted to
Coffee drinking.
Later Both Indian and Sri-Lanka gained independence,
Communist rule in China=now tea was exported directly to
the recipient country in Europe, rather than via middleman
London.
Tea: Darjeeling
Factors effect
Capital
Britain had accumulated truckload of wealth
from its Asian-African colonies + industrial
revolution.
By 1830s, monopoly over Chinese tea-trade
was lost with the entry of other European
players exercising sphere of influence over
China.
The indigo cropping in Bihar was not giving
good returns.
Suez Canal opened=distance reduced.
All ^these factors led to British FDI going
in the Indian tea-plantation activity.
Climate morning fog, low temperature=high grade leaf
water
Tista, Rangreej, Mahananda, Balason+ many
streams.
Gradual melting of Himalayan snow=feeds
water to rivers/streams even in dry season.
+south-west monsoon provided sufficient
water
soil
soil has good quantity of
phosphorous+potash=>gives special flavor to
Darjeeling Tea.
Topography Grown in hills=no stagnant water.
Labour
Large estates have residential, school, hospital
facilities=>permanent labor force working for
generations.
market
Yes, local + foreign demand.
Proximity to Kolkata port=good for export.
Tea: China
Mostly grown on Yangtze-Kiang and Sikiang valleys
Factors effect
Climate summer monsoon keeps the temp good for tea
Topography hills
Labour
grown and used since ancient times= people
are skilled @growing tea.
Famers grow tea on the nearby hills as
secondary crop for additional income,
otherwise primary crop is rice.
Compared to Indian Estates, Chinese tea
Farms are smaller, usually less than 1 acre.
market
Yes local + foreign demand. Yangtze-Kiang
leads to Shanghai port. And Location
advantages of Shanghai port already discussed
in Textile article.
Although most Europeans prefer Indian
black tea because it is stronger than Chinese
variety.
Some passing reference to other countries and factors
country factors
Japan
mountain slopes
red volcanic soil containing a lot of iron
Sri
Lanka
Cheap labour, good climate, hills
British tried coffee, but a blight in 1870s
wiped out coffee plantation => shifted to tea.
Indonesia Ocean breeze and cheap supply of female labour
Coffee
factor impact
Temperature
Coffee needs to be protected from direct
sunlight, especially when plant is young.
in Yemen / Ethiopia annual rainfall is less
than 20 inches but still coffee grows well
because thick sea mist=provides moisture
and protects from excessive heat.
Topography
Coffee likes abundant moisture but hates
waterlogging=>hilly slopes receiving
orographic rainfall are best suited for
coffee.
Hill slops facing the sea=even better,
because they benefit from the mist and sea
breezes=cooler. (and coffee hates direct
sunlight/heat)
Labor
Berry has to be picked by hand, sorting the
ripe berries from leaves, twigs etc. also
needs patience and skill.
Since coffee has to be grown in hillslopes,
large scale mechanization =not possible
(unlike wheat in Canada or Corn/Cotton in
US)
Market
Coffee loses flavour quickly after being
roasted. Therefore, only preliminary
processing done in exporting country, and
roasting done in the importing country.
Factor: American Revolution
Initially the Europeans that had settled in USA, consumed
tea imported from Britain.
But then King George imposed heavy tax on tea exported to
USA => Boston tea party revolt + American war of
independence=> tea supply halted= Americans switched to
Coffee and thus USA became major market for Brazil and
Columbian coffee cultivators.
Lets check some important coffee growing regions and factor
responsible.
Brazil: Sao Paulo
Coffee grown in the North-Eastern region of Brazil. Brazilian
Coffee plantations are called fazendas (because in Portuguese,
Fazenda=farm)
Factor Impact
Soil
volcanic soil known as terra roxa (red
soil)= rich in minerals, potash and humus
soil remains productive for many years of
coffee cultivation without requiring
additional fertilizers.
Temp
in Brazil tall leguminous plants are used to
provide shade + enrich the soil with
nitrogen fixing bacteria
Brazilian current=mist=keeps temperature
moderate.
moderate temp= not much shade needed +
lower occurrence of diseases
Transport
Special railways passing through hills and
tunnels to connect plantations to port
cities of Rio De Janeiro etc.
Labor
they move from one estate to another
Their wages are low, but they are allowed
to grow maize, vegetables, rear poultry for
personal use in the fazendas.
Market
Universal demand, except where tea is the main
beverage.
Competition
in 1870s, a blight disease destroyed Sri
Lankan Coffee plantation, hence Brazil
took the opportunity to fillup the vaccum
in world market.
They cleared the virgin forest and started
coffee plantations. When soil started
losing fertility theyd simply destroy more
forest and move interior to make another
plantation => low unit production cost
because no fertilizer used.
Coffee: Kerala
Kerala=> Western Ghats + Nilgiri Hills region = suited for both
Tea+coffee.
Factor impact
Soil
red soil=best suited
Hill areas of Kozhikode, Palakkad,
Malappuram, Kottayam=no stagnant water
Temp
Coffee grown on Northern and Eastern slopes
of the ghat (Because coffee hates direct
sunlight)
Moderating effect of Lakshadweep sea= temp
stays ~25 throughout the year.
Transport Kochi port
Market
Kochi port to (mostly) Italy+local demand in South
India
Rubber Plantations
factor impact
Raw
Material
Natural Rubber is obtained from latex of
rubber trees.
Latex=white milky liquid, collected by making
cut on rubber tree bark.
Latex=contains 30-40% rubber, rest material
lost during processing => preliminary
processing is done near Raw material site.
climate
hates cold + likes abundant moisture=both
condition met near tropics
labour
Tapper need to make cuts deep enough to chop
the latex tube but without damaging
cambium=need skill.
Latex is collected by affixing artificial cups on
the tree bark.
but latex will coagulate in cup, if kept for
long=> tapper needs to collect latex regularly
Hence rubber collection=need lot of laborers.
Processing of Natural Rubber
Latex from tree=>diluted with water & strained to remove
dirt.
Diluted latex + acid =rubber coagulates and forms slabs on
top.
these slabs removed ,pressed in mill to squeeze out liquid
slabs=dried=become thin sheets= easy to pack & export
Factor: technology
Rise of Natural
rubber demand
1830s: Charles
Goodyear of the USA
invented vulcanization
process= increased the
industrial applications
of Natural rubber.
1890s: automobile
industry= pneumatic
cars=needed rubber.
Fall of Natural rubber demand
In the 1920s, USA began to develop synthetic rubber.
Although natural rubber was still preferred because new
technology was costly.
But WW2= Japan occupied Southeast Asia=natural rubber
export to USA was cutoff.
In response, US government developed a huge synthetic
rubber industry in a very short time and after WW2, sold it
to private companies.
Rubber: Malaysia
Factor impact
Climate
hot moist equatorial climate=suitable for Rubber
trees.
Labour immigrants from China + Tamils from India
Technology
Rubber research Institute in Kuala Lumpur
new selective breeding methods
new tapping methods to cut the labour cost
Replanting:
A new rubber tree yields 3-4 times more
latex than an old tree.
Hence replanting of rubber tree=increases
the yield.
Malaysian government, provided active
support for replanting.
Government
Policy
Quality control
Government regulates the export quality by
standard Malaysian rubber (SMR) system
e.g. SMR5 grade rubbber, SMR50 grade
rubber.
Thus, Malaysian rubber comments respect
and good prices in international market for
its uniform quality.
Rubber: Kerala
In Kerala, Rubber grown on hill slops of W.Ghats in Travancore,
Kozikode, Malabar, Kottayam distrcits.
factor impact
climate
Rubber hates cold + likes abundant moisture
Kerala being coastal state + hills=both condition
met.
tapping done in morning to avoid afternoon
rains.
soil laterite soil=good growth.
labour
Available and skiled. One tapper can go through almost
250-300 trees per day.
Kerala= lot of coconuts=their shell is used as cup to collect
latex. Other than that, not much wisdom is given in books
regarding location factor.
Factors: Why decline in S.America
Rubber is originally from Brazil, their government had banned
export of rubber plant to maintain monopoly However, an
Englishman smuggled the seeds out of Brazil, spread Rubber
plantation in Sri Lanka and other S.E.Asian countries. But today
S.American countries dont figure in top Rubber producers, why?
1. South American Countries= prolonged struggles for
independence, coups, countercoups =instability=no
attention to infra/research necessary for Rubber.
2. Their governments did not understand the importance of
replanting like Malaysians =yields kept decline after every
year.
3. Rubber estates confiscated with change of regimes, land
redistributed among peasants= small scale rubber
production =cannot maintain uniform quality for exported
rubber + no more economies of scale= unit cost of
production increased.
Cocoa
Originally from Central and South America, associated with
Aztec civilization.
Spanish brought it to Europe, but only after Europeans
learned the art of chocolate making, cocoa demand
increased.
Then Europeans introduced cocoa in West African
countries.
Ghana, Cocoa Triangle
In Ghana, the triangular area between Takoradi, Kumasi and Accra
towns has max. Concentration of cocoa cultivation= famous as
Cocoa Triangle.
soil, climate
cocoa tree need warm wet climate, forest
protection.Ghana being in the equatorial
belt. So all conditions met.
labour
need lot of cheap laborers because
1. cocoa fruits have to be manually cut
with a machete.
2. Since cocoa trees grown in jungle
areas= have to manually carry it near
the mainroad/railway line.
Ghana has abundant supply of cocoa-
labourers known as Tumbadors.
transport/market
Port of Takoradi and Tema.Mainly grown
for export to US and dairy countries of
Europe (Swiz, Den, Neth).
Factor: Processing
(just for information)
cocoa fruitpod=> pulp removed= you get 20-30 seeds from
each pod
Seeds covered in banana leaves and allowed to ferment for a
week=> sun dried.
Tropical damp climate = cocoa beans quickly lose flavor
after roasting. Therefore, further processing done in the
importing country (e.g. USA)
they roast the bean=>grind=> you get two products
1. Powder: mix with sugar, milk & make chocolate.
2. Cocoa-butter: used in cosmetics, cream-lipstick,
pharmaceuticals etc.
So why does Ghana export cocoa-beans, why not finished
products?
1. Unlike USA, Ghana doesnt have abundant supply of other
ingredients of chocolate/confectionary items viz. milk and
sugar. Even if Ghana imported milk/sugar from elsewhere to
make chocolates, the final market is in US/Europe=>
transport cost makes the industry @disadvantage.
2. Ghana doesnt have drug/cosmetic industry that can
efficiently utilize by-product: cocoa-butter. (because
drug/cosmetic industry require skilled labour)
Ecuador used to be a major cocoa exporter but trees were plagued
by fungal disease=> farmer switched to banana, coffee and sugar
cane.
Bananas
Just passing reference
fruit ripens very quickly.
without refrigerated boats, impossible to ship product from
tropics to US/EU market.
banana producing regions nearest to major markets have
trade advantage. e.g. Caribbean islands
In the next article, well see the location factors for Iron-steel-
heavy industries.
Mock Questions
5 marks/50 words
Explain the reason(s) for each of the following:
1. Sugarcane is more economical to produce cane sugar beet.
2. more cane sugar enters the world trader then beet sugar
3. The invention of chocolate making was the greatest single
factor in rapid expansion of cocoa cultivation
4. chocolate making factories are located in importing
countries rather than in cocoa-producing countries
12 marks /120 words
1. Explain the geographical factors responsible for large-scale
commercial cultivation of any one of the following pairs:
a. Tea and Coffee
b. sugarcane and sugar beet
2. consider the basis of regional specialization in tropical
beverages with special reference to any one major beverage
crop.
3. for any selected area, examine the relationship between
development of coffee or tea because of following factors
a. climate
b. relief and drainage
c. labour Supply
d. government policy
25 marks/ 250 words
1. Tropical and Sub-tropical regions are the chief suppliers of
beverages to the temperate markets. Comment
2. Plantation agriculture is essentially limited to the tropical
and subtropical areas. What are the factors responsible for
this particular concentration?
3. Analyze the factor responsible for underdevelopment of
Plantation economy near tropical regions.
4. Examine the factors influencing commercial production of
rubber in Malaysia or Tobacco in USA.
URL to article: http://mrunal.org/2013/07/geography-location-
factors-sugar-tea-coffee-rubber-and-cocoa-for-upsc-general-
studies-mains-paper-1.html
Posted By Mrunal On 28/07/2013 @ 20:17 In the category
Geography

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