Plantation agriculture is generally considered to be extensive. This type of farming involves large areas of land dedicated to the cultivation of a single cash crop, typically for commercial purposes. Examples of plantation crops include cotton, coffee, rubber, and sugarcane. The extensive nature of plantation agriculture comes from the vast land requirements and the lower labor intensity compared to intensive agriculture methods, which focus on high yields per unit of land with more labor input.
In plantation agriculture, the focus is primarily on maximizing production through economies of scale rather than increasing output per unit area, which characterizes intensive farming. While plantations do employ modern agricultural techniques and sometimes use intensive methods for specific crops, the underlying structure and aim of plantation agriculture align more closely with extensive agricultural practices.