Ahmedabad, Sep 12
Gujarat continues to lead India in peanut cultivation and production, with the crop sown over 22 lakh hectares and contributing more than 50 per cent to the country’s total output, according to Agriculture Minister Raghavji Patel.
“This year, Gujarat is set to make history in peanut production, with an estimated 66 lakh metric tonnes — a record for the state,†Patel said.
Last year, the state procured 12.22 lakh metric tonnes of peanuts from over 3.67 lakh farmers at minimum support prices (MSP), amounting to Rs 8,295 crore, providing significant economic security to growers. Peanuts have long been a vital part of both India’s and Gujarat’s economy.
Among the top peanut-producing countries, India holds a prominent position, and Gujarat contributes more than half of the nation’s total output.
The state’s dominance in cultivation and production remains intact this year. The area under peanut cultivation has steadily increased over the years. In 2018–19, peanuts were sown over 15.94 lakh hectares; this year, the area has expanded by 25 per cent to 22 lakh hectares.
Similarly, production has surged from 22 lakh metric tonnes in 2018–19 to 52.20 lakh metric tonnes in 2024–25, with this year projected to reach 66 lakh metric tonnes — three times higher than 2018–19.
To ensure farmers’ economic security, the government announces MSPs before sowing and procures peanuts directly at these rates. In 2020–21, over 1 lakh farmers sold more than 2 lakh metric tonnes of peanuts to the government at MSP, valued at Rs 1,068 crore.
Last year’s bumper harvest enabled record procurement, with 3.67 lakh farmers selling 12.22 lakh metric tonnes worth ₹8,295 crore. Procurement at MSP will continue this year as well. Patel noted that factors contributing to the rise in cultivation include higher market prices, increased MSPs, direct government procurement, and research-based high-yield varieties.
Farmers now primarily sow varieties developed by state agricultural universities and the Indian Peanut Research Institute, such as Gujarat Groundnut-20, 32, 39, 23, and Girnar-4.
Peanuts remain an integral part of the Gujarati diet, used for both consumption and oil, while the shells serve as livestock feed.
Gujarat’s soil and climate are highly suitable for peanut cultivation, particularly in Saurashtra, often referred to as the “peanut hub,†where the crop has been cultivated extensively for over 150 years.
- IANS
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