Why was cultivable land considered more useful than forest by the colonial government?

Correct answer: Because farming could provide regular land revenue

The direct answer is option A: cultivable land could provide regular land revenue. Colonial officials often judged land by the income it could produce for the state. Step by step: a forest was cleared; crops were grown; cultivation was recorded or controlled; the government collected rent or tax. Option A is correct because regular land revenue made farmland financially attractive to the colonial government. Option B is wrong because forests contained many forms of life. Option C is wrong because farming certainly requires land; the wording gives no valid reason. Option D is wrong because forests were not empty seas. The key distinction is that colonial policy often ignored ecological and community value and focused on taxable income.