CHAPTER -H STATUS AND IMPORTANCE OF GROUNDNUT CROP AND ITS WORLD SCENARIO

Transcription

1 CHAPTER -H STATUS AND IMPORTANCE OF GROUNDNUT CROP AND ITS WORLD SCENARIO

2 2.1. Introduction Groundnut is one of the most important cash crops of our country. It is a lowpriced commodity but a valuable source of all the nutrients. Groundnut is the sixth most important oilseed crop in the world. It contains 48-50% of oil and 26-28% of protein, and is a rich source of dietary fiber, minerals, and vitamins. The world wide groundnut is grown in 26.4 million hectares with a total production of 37.1 million metric tonnes and an average productivity of 1.4 metric t/ha. Worldwide ground nut is grown over 100 countries. Developing countries constitute 97% of the global area and 94% of the global production of this crop. The production of groundnut is concentrated in Asia and Africa with 56% and 40% of the global area and 68% and 25% of the global production, respectively. 2.2 Groundnut Crop Cultivated groundnut belongs to genus Arachis in subtribe Stylosanthinae of tribe Aeschynomenea of family Leguminosae. It is a self-pollinated, tropical annual legume. At locations where bee activity is high, some cross-pollination can occur. Cultivated groundnut has two subspecies, hypogaea and fastigiata, which in turn have two botanical varieties (var hypogaea and var aequatoriana). Each of these botanical varieties have different plants, pod and seed characteristics. However, most of the commercially cultivated varieties belongs to the hypogaea (common name/market type: Virginia or runner), fastigiata (Valencia), and vulgaris (Spanish) botanical variety groups. The characteristics of these three botanical varieties are described below Variety Hypogaea No floral axes or branches on main stem; alternating pairs of vegetative and reproductive axes on branches (alternate branching), inflorescence simple vegetative 33

3 branches moderate to profuse; primary branches longer than main stem, growth habit spreading, intermediate, or erect, usually two seeds per pod, pod beak not very prominent; seed size medium (runner market type) to large (Virginia market type), taste colour generally tan (red, white, purple, or variegated also exist), cured seed dormancy moderate and maturity medium to late Variety Fastigiata Floral axes on main stem, irregular pattern of vegetative and productive branches with reproductive branches predominating on branches (sequential branching), inflorescence usually simple, vegetative branches sparse, primary branches shorter than main stem, growth habit upright, two to four seeds per pod, pod beak absent, slight, or prominent; seed size small to medium, testa color tan, red, white, yellow, purple, or variegated and cured seed dormancy little Variety Vulgaris Floral axes on main stem; irregular pattern of vegetative and productive branches with reproductive branches predominating, primary branches shorter than main stem; growth habit upright, mostly two seeds per pod (three seeds are rare), beak may or may not be present; seed size small to medium, testa color tan, red, white,, or purple, cured seed dormancy limited Origin and Uses of Groundnuts It has been reported that South America was the place from where cultivation of groundnut originated and spread to Brazil, Southern Bolivia and North-western Argentina. Groundnut was introduced by the Portuguese from Brazil to West Africa and then to south-western India in the 16th century. Almost every part of groundnut is of commercial value. 34

4 2.7. Groundnut Oil The groundnut oil has several uses but it is mainly used as cooking oil. It is used in many preparations, like soap making, fuel, cosmetics, shaving cream, leather dressings, furniture cream, lubricants, etc. Groundnut oil is also used in making vanaspati ghee and in fatty acids manufacturing. It is also used as a medium of preservation for preparation of pickles, chutney, etc. The groundnut oil is used in making different types of medicated ointments, plasters, syrups and medicated emulsion. It is also used to make various food preparations like butter, milk, candy and chocolate, chutney, groundnut pack, laddu, barfi (chukii), etc Kernels Whole kernels are used for table purpose by flying, soaking, roasting and boiling and in different types of namkeens. Roasted groundnut is the most popular way of eating. Kernels are also used as a spice in vegetables and as sprouts for salad Groundnut Cake It is a good feed for animals and poultry due to its nutritive value and palatability Groundnut Shell Groundnut shell has great potential for commercial use. It is used as a fuel, filler in cattle feed, hard particleboard, cork substitute, activated carbon, etc Groundnut Straw It is mainly used as animal feed and fuel and in preparation of compost. The green leaves and stems of plants are used as animal feed. The shells of pods obtained during threshing are also used as cattle feed. The food values of groundnuts are presented in brief in the following table 2.1 and the same is illustrated diagrammatically in figure

5 Table 2.1: Food Value of Groundnuts Content Percentage Protein Oil Starch Soluble sugar 4.50 Crude Fiber 2.10 Moisture 6.00 Source: Peanut in Local and Global food Systems Series Report No.5, Dept, of Anthropology, University of Georgia, Fig. 2.1: Food Value of Groundnuts Percentage 49% The nutritional characteristics of groundnut are presented in the following table 2.2. The chemical composition of groundnut shells, haulms and oil cake are examined with the help of the following table 2.3. Table 2.2: Nutritional Characteristics of Groundnut Kernel Characteristics Raw* Roasted* Calories(g) Protein(g) Fat(g) Carbohydrate(g) Calcium(mg) Phosphorus(mg) Iron(mg) Thiamine (B1 )(mg) Riboflavine(B2)(mg) Iron(mg) Niacin(mg) * Content g; Source: Bum and Huffman, Source: Peanut in Local and Global food Systems Series Report, No.5, Dept, of Anthropology, University of Georgia,

6 Table 2.3: Chemical Composition of Groundnut Shell, Haulms and oil Cake Characteristics Shell (%) Haulms (%) Oil cake (%) Cellulose to Carbohydrates to to 30 Proteins to to 60 Minerals to to 5.70 Crude fiber to to 7.50 Moisture to to 10 Source: Reddy, P.S., Climatic Requirements for Groundnut Crop Groundnut is essentially a tropical plant. It requires a long and warm growing season. The most favourable climatic conditions for groundnuts are a well-distributed rainfall of at least 50 centimetres during growing season, abundance of sunshine and relatively warm temperature. It seems that plant will grow best when the mean temperature is 21 C to 26.5 C. Lower temperatures are not suitable for its proper development. During the ripening period, it requires about a month of warm, dry weather Water Management in Groundnut Production Being a rainy-season crop, groundnut does not require irrigation. However, if dry spell occurs, irrigation may become necessary. One irrigation should be given at the pod development stage. The field should be well drained. In the southern part of the country where groundnut is grown in rabi season too, three to four irrigations are necessary. The first irrigation is given at the start of flowering and the subsequent irrigations whenever required during the fruiting period to encourage peg penetration and pod development. The last irrigation before harvesting facilitates the full recovery of pods from the soil Reasons for Low Groundnut Yields in India Low plant population because of high cost of seed, small and marginal farmers cannot afford the seed costs, 37

7 Small farmers do not want to invest on seeds as the crop is exposed to vagaries of rainfall leading to uncertain yields, Most of the farmers use local seed which may be of poor quality, Being a rain fed crop, lack of optimum soil moisture at the time of sowing affects germination, Non-adoption of seed treatment against seed- borne diseases may lead to decay and death of seed/seedling, Cultivated in marginal and poor soils of low fertility status, Farmers rarely apply fertilizers fearing crop loss due to failure of rains, Multi nutrient deficiencies also contribute towards the decline in yields in many groundnut growing areas, Use of complex fertilizers lead to deficiencies of Calcium and Sulfur affecting the yields, No irrigation facilities to protect the crop from soil moisture deficit during breaks in rainfall during monsoon season and Neglected weed, insect pests and disease control Importance of Groundnut Groundnut is called as the king of oilseeds. It is one of the most important food and cash crops of our country. While being a valuable source of all the nutrients, it is a low-priced commodity. Groundnut is also called as wonder nut and poor men s cashew nut. The groundnut is particularly valued for its protein content (26%). On equal weight basis (Kg for Kg), groundnuts contain more protein than meat and about two and a half times more than eggs. 38

8 In addition to protein, groundnuts are a good source of calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc and boron. The groundnuts also contain vitamin E and small amounts of vitamin B complex. High in calories, 5.6 calories nut -1 (calorific value of 567). Being an oil seed crop, it contains 40 to 49% of oil Economic and Social Impact of Groundnut Groundnut is cultivated on about 26.5 million hectares in the world, with an average annual production of 35.7 million Metric tones. The average yield world over is 1348 kg/ha. India is one of the largest producers of oilseeds in the world and occupies an important position in the Indian agricultural economy. It is estimated that nine oilseeds, namely, groundnut, rapeseed-mustard, soyabean, sunflower, safflower, sesame, niger, castor and linseed, accounted for an area of million hectares with the production of million tonnes during the year China and India together are the world's leading groundnut producers accounting for nearly 60 percent of the production and 52 percent of the crop area. India cultivates about 7.74 million hectares and produces 7.61 million tonnes of groundnut with the productivity level of kg per hectare. South Africa is the major producer in Africa, while in Latin America almost one half of the total groundnut produced in that region may be credited to Argentina. Among the developing countries, Egypt has the highest productivity and capacity to produce groundnuts (Table 2.4). In most of the developing countries, the productivity levels are lower than in the United States of America, mainly due to a number of production constraints such as the cultivation of the crop on marginal lands under rainfed conditions, 39

9 Occurrence of frequent drought stress due to vagaries of monsoon, higher incidence of disease and pest attacks, low input-use and factors related to socio-economic infrastructure. Table 2.4: Groundnut Area, Yield and Production in Various Developing Countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America during the last Decade Countries Area (000 ha) Yield (t ha1) Production (0001) Africa Nigeria Sudan Senegal Mozambique Niger Uganda Zimbabwe Mali Tanzania Egypt Asia China India Indonesia Myanmar Vietnam Thailand Pakistan Turkey Syria Latin America and Caribbean Argentina Brazil Mexico Paraguay Source: FAOSTAT, database 2000 to 2006, each figure is average for the period from Especially in the developing countries, groundnut has to play an important role both as oil and food crop. For example, in India about 10 kg groundnut per capita is available for domestic consumption. Fat and oil consumption averages less than 5 kg per capita per year. It has been estimated that in the year 2000, approximately 34 million Mt of groundnuts were produced worldwide of which 15 million Mt were 40

10 produced in China, 6 million Mt in India, 2 million Mt in Nigeria, 1.5 million Mt in United States of America and the rest mostly in other countries. Protein calorie malnutrition (PCM) is a serious problem in the developing world. It is ironic that PCM exist in areas where most of the groundnut is produced. Assuming the level of production of 34 million Mt of groundnut in the year 2008, there would be about 6.26 million metric tonnes of groundnut proteins (after correcting for the kernel yield). Thus there should be about 2.6 to 2.8 g of groundnut protein available per capita per day in the world. This translates into approximately 5.5 percent of the total protein requirements of the world. The obvious reason for low consumption of groundnut protein in India is that out of 6 million Mt of groundnuts produced every year, 80 percent are utilized for oil extraction, 12 percent for seed purpose, 2 percent for export and the remaining for edible purposes. The protein rich cake resulting from oil extraction is fed to the animals as protein supplement. The groundnut utilization system in India remains more or less similar in most of the developing itfflpmg liiowitma mimtriea with witn tho tno oneentian oneeptiew ot of outh Africa. S.K.U.L I BRARY Acc. No...1.4?.? Similarly, in other developing ( Dntti#slwftH3t 0m m of the groundnuts are us d for extraction of oil for domestic consumption and export. For example, Sudan accounted for 17 percent of the world groundnut export trade. Groundnuts are important component of Nigerian diet and about 5 percent of the estimated 58.9 g of crude protein available per head per day is contributed by groundnut. In most of the developing countries it provides high-quality cooking oil and is an important source of protein for both human and animal diet and also provides much needed foreign exchange by exporting the kernels and cake. In the literature, groundnut as a cash crop is found to completely dominate its role as subsistent food 41

11 crop. In spite of groundnut importance to diets in many developing countries and the increasing emphasis on food self-sufficiency, studies on domestic groundnut consumption are especially non-existent. Countries like South Africa, India, China and Egypt have good potential to utilize the opportunity to export groundnuts or groundnut products to the developed countries. They can earn valuable foreign exchange to improve their economic conditions. In the international market demand for groundnut products is determined by several factors. The primary factor in Africa has been population growth. In Asia, demand has grown due to a combination of population growth, increase in per capita income and urbanization. Expansion of urban areas signals higher incomes, higher opportunity cost of time and therefore greater demand for convenience foods. Groundnut production and consumption in the period up to 2010 has likely to shifted progressively more to developing countries. This boost will be seen in all regions with most rapid growth in Asia. Per capita consumption will grow sharply in Asia, slowly in sub-saharan Africa and will decline in Latin America. Utilization will continue to shift away from groundnut oil towards groundnut meal, especially confectionery products Major Groundnut Producing Countries Groundnut is grown on a large scale in almost all the tropical and subtropical countries of the world. The most important groundnut growing countries are India, China, Nigeria, Sudan and USA. It is grown over an area of 24.7 million hectares with a total production of 33 million tonnes in the whole world. India occupies the first place in acreage and second in production. Groundnut is cultivated in more than 60 countries of the world (Table2.5). 42

12 Table 2.5: Area, Production and Average Yield of Groundnut in the Major Producing Countries (Area in ooo hectares; production in ooo tonnes) «$c 2 0) , Z 2,325 % of world in Area Prodtn , Production Area Production Area Production I Country Area Argentina GO d Burkina Chad 2,624 3,012 2, , , ,895. 4,946.1 CO h» ^r Tf 5, China Congo, Dem 1,286 1,354 1, Ghana , ,500 8,000 4, ,953.5 SlZO'l 6,238.1 India 2,016 1,958 1, , , , Indonesia 1,270 1,274 1, LVl Myanmar o o CM O OGO cvt 2,699 2,782 2, Nigeria o 96S 959 CM in CM 3.4 o o05 o o Senegal o ocm O o , , Sudan 3,540 2,870 3, , , , USA 1,665 1,623 1,485 CM 0.91 o '*fr o CO CD CO Viet Nam I I I , ,934. 3, , , , Others 1,348 1,382 1, , , , > O <r CM 36, , World Source: Handbook on Grading of Foodgrains and Oilseeds, Agricultural Statistics in Various Journals and Reports 43

13 The table depicts that during , groundnut occupied an area of 26, thousand hectares with production of 35, thousand tonnes in the world. Groundnut is mainly produced in Asian countries. During the year , China was the largest producer of groundnuts accounting for per cent of the total world production followed by India (21.03 per cent). China and India, together, accounted for about per cent of world groundnut production. Nigeria (7.57 per cent), USA (5.27 per cent), Indonesia (3.86 per cent) and Sudan (3.37 per cent) were the other major groundnut producing countries. In area, India ranked first with per cent share in the world, followed by China (19.37 per cent), Nigeria (10.58 per cent) and Sudan (7.18 per cent). However, in productivity, United States of America stood first with 3540 kg/ha followed by China (2624 kg/ha), Argentina (2018 kg/ha) and Indonesia (2016 kg/ha) during The Major Groundnut Growing Countries in Asia, Africa and North and Central America The following table 2.6 analyses the area, production and yield of groundnut crop in the major groundnut growing countries in Asia. Though India has more area under groundnut cultivation than China, the production is less as yields are low because the crop is mostly grown under rain fed conditions. The place of different countries of Asia in regarding to the area under groundnut crop is shown diagrammatically in figure 2.2. Table 2.6: The Major Groundnut Growing Countries in Asia Country Area (000 ha) Production (000 mt) Yield (kg/ha) China 5,125 13,448 2,623 India 8,000 7, Indonesia 683 1,377 2,016 Myanmar ,270 Pakistan ,060 Thailand ,517 Vietnam ,665 Source: Market Survey, Department of Agriculture, Govt, of India. 44

14 Fig. 2.2: The Major Groundnut Growing Countries in Asia (in Area) China India O Indonesia O Myanmar Pakistan a Thailand Vietnam Table 2.7: The Major Groundnut Growing Countries in Africa Country Area (000 ha) Production (000 mt) Yield (kg/ha) Chad Ghana ,286 Malawi Nigeria 2,800 2, Senegal ,000 Sudan 1,900 1, Uganda Source: Peanut in Local and Global food Systems Series Report No.5, Dept, of Anthropology, University of Georgia, Fig. 2.3: The Major Groundnut Growing Countries in Africa (in area) Area (000 ha) ] Chad i : m Ghana! Malawi i Q Nigeria 1 Senegal j i i ; osudan ; S i, m Uganda ; Table 2.7 reveals the data relating to area, production and productivity of groundnut in the major groundnut growing countries of Africa. The place of different 45

15 countries of Africa in regarding to the area under groundnut crop is shown diagraramatically in figure 2.3. The area, production and productivity of groundnut crop in the major groundnut growing countries in North and Central America are presented in the following table 2.8. The groundnut area in these countries is small. The yields are very high in United States of America for the reason that groundnut is cultivated under irrigation with best management practices. This indicates the potential of the crop under good management. The place of different countries of North and Central America regarding to the area under groundnut crop is shown diagrammatically in figure 2.4. Table 2.8: Groundnut Growing Countries in North and Central America Country Area (000 ha) Production (000 mt) Yield (kg/ha) Argentina ,348 Brazil ,082 Mexico ,204 US of America 531 1,880 3,540 Source: Peanut in Local and Global food Systems Series Report No.5, Dept, of Anthropology, University of Georgia, Fig. 2.4: Groundnut Growing Countries in North and Central America (in Area) Area (000 ha) 156 B Argentina m Brazil O Mexico O US of America 46

16 2.19. Groundnut Production in India India is the second largest producer of groundnuts after China. Groundnut is the largest oilseed in India in terms of production. It accounted for per cent of the oilseeds production of the country during Gujarat is the largest producer contributing 25 per cent of the total production followed by Tamil Nadu (22.48 per cent), Andhra Pradesh (18.81 per cent), Karnataka (12.64 per cent) and Maharashtra (10.09 per cent) during Groundnut contains on an average per cent of fat and per cent of protein and is a rich source of calcium, iron and vitamin B complex like thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and vitamin A. It has multifarious usages. It is used not only as a major cooking medium for various food items but also for manufacture of soaps, cosmetics, shaving creams and lubricants. In fact, it plays a pivotal role in the oilseed economy of India. India exports groundnut kernels, shell, hand picked selected (HPS) groundnut and oil cake forms. Groundnut haulms and leaves serve as a rich source of cattle feed and raw material for preparation of silage. Being a leguminous crop, groundnut is also grown in crop rotation as it synthesizes atmospheric nitrogen and adds kg of nitrogen in the field per hectare per season. It maintains the fertility of soil and helps in reducing soil erosion. The major groundnut growing states in India and the area under groundnut, percentage of area under groundnut and production details are shown in table 2.9. The place of the major groundnut producing states of India in regarding to the percentage of total production of groundnut crop is diagrammatically shown in figure

17 Table 2.9: Major Groundnut Producing States in India State Area % Total Area Production % Total Production yield % irrigated area Gujarat Tamil Nadu Andhra Pradesh Karnataka Maharashtra Source: Peanut in Local and Global food Systems Series Report No.5, Dept, of Anthropology, University of Georgia, Fig. 2.5: The Place of Major Groundnut Growing States in Total Production of Groundnut Crop The groundnut production in India under different climatic conditions is shown in Table It shows that the total groundnut production recorded a significant fluctuations between and The average groundnut production in India during the period was lakh tonnes, with kharif at lakh tonnes and rabi at lakh tonnes. The trends in the production of groundnut crop in India during is shown graphically in figure

18 Table 2.10: Groundnut Production in Various Seasons in India Year Kharif Season Rabi Total Production of Groundnut Total Seeds Production % of total production Average Source: Peanut in Local and Global food Systems Series Report No.5, Dept, of Anthropology, University of Georgia, Figure 2.6 : Trends in Groundnut Production in India ( ) 49

19 Table 2.11: Area, Production and Average Yield of groundnut in the Major % of World in Yield (kg/ha) State Area Production Area Production Area Production Area Production Gujarat Tamil Nadu Andhra Pradseh Karnataka Maharashtra Rajasthan Madhya Pradesh Uttar Pradesh Odissa Others ~ ~ All India Source: Handbook of Grading of Foodgrains and Oilseeds, agricultural Statistics in Various Jouraalsd and reports. BProduction \ Fig. 2.7 : Area and Production of Groundnut crop in the Selected States during The highest production of lakh tonnes was obtained during the year , with kharif at lakh tonnes and rabi season at 26.,04 lakh tonnes. 50

20 Groundnuts assumed a significant position in India s oilseeds production during the years to In , the total oilseeds production of India was 215 lakh tonnes, of which per cent was contributed by groundnuts. In India groundnut is grown over an area of 6.9 million hectares with total production of 5.3 million tonnes. Its cultivation is mostly confined to south Indian states, viz, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. The other important states where it is grown are Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. The area, production and average yield of major groundnut producing states in India during the years to are shown in Table Gujarat was the largest groundnut producer (25 per cent) during , followed by Tamil Nadu (22.48 per cent), Andhra Pradesh (18.81 percent), Karnataka (12.61 per cent) and Maharashtra (10.09 per cent). In area, it ranked first with per cent of total area during , followed by Andhra Pradesh (24.71 per cent), Karnataka (14.12 per cent), Tamil Nadu (9.24 per cent) and Maharashtra (7.06 per cent), whereas in productivity, among major producing states, Tamil Nadu stood first with 1784 kg/ha during , followed by Maharashtra (1041 kg/ha) and Orissa (870 kg/ha). The area and production of groundnut crop in different states of India during is shown diagrammatically in figure Export and Import of Groundnut Production India exports both types of groundnut i.e., groundnuts in shell and shelled groundnut kemells. It has been a traditional exporter of HPS groundnuts. It has imported meager quantity of shelled groundnut kernels and HPS from Norway and Japan, respectively. Indonesia, Malaysia, the UK, Ukraine, USA, the Philippines, Netherlands, Singapore and Sri Lanka are major groundnut importing countries. 51

21 Table 2.12: Country-Wise Export of Groundnuts in shell and Shelled Groundnuts ( and ) (Value in Rs.Lakhs; Quantity in thousand Kgs.) Shelled Groundnuts Groundnut in Shell Country Quantity Value Quantity Value Quantity Value Quantity Value Indonesia 3, , , , , , , , Malaysia 1, , , , , , , , Netherlands , , Philippines , , , Singapore , , , , , , f- o OO Sri Lanka UK , , , , , O o , Ukraine , , LVZ USA Others , , , , , , N Os n Tf 44, , , , ,474,64 5, Total Source: Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCIS), Kolkata 52

22 In , India exported a total of 176, thousand kg of groundnuts valued at Rs 54, lakh. The share of groundnuts in shell was 39, thousand kg valued at Rs 11, lakh. The country wise exports and imports of groundnut are presented in table Conclusions It has been reported that South America was the place from where cultivation of groundnut originated and spread to Brazil, Southern Bolivia and North-western Argentina. Groundnut was introduced by the Portuguese from Brazil to West Africa and then to south-western India in the 16th century. Almost every part of groundnut is of commercial value. The groundnut oil has several uses but it is mainly used as cooking oil. It is used in many preparations, like soap making, fuel, cosmetics, shaving cream, leather dressings, furniture cream, lubricants, etc. Groundnut oil is also used in making vanaspati ghee and in fatty acids manufacturing. The groundnut oil is used in making different types of medicated ointments, plasters, syrups and medicated emulsion. It is also used to make various food preparations like butter, milk, candy and chocolate, chutney, groundnut pack, laddu, barfi (chukii), etc. Groundnut shell has great potential for commercial use. It is used as a fuel, filler in cattle feed, hard particleboard, cork substitute, activated carbon, etc. Groundnut straw is mainly used as animal feed and fuel and in preparation of compost. The green leaves and stems of plants are used as animal feed. The shells of pods obtained during threshing are also used as cattle feed. Groundnut is essentially a tropical plant. It requires a long and warm growing season. The most favourable climatic conditions for groundnuts are a well-distributed rainfall of at least 50 centimetres during growing season, abundance of sunshine and relatively warm temperature. 53

23 Groundnut is called as the king of oilseeds. It is one of the most important food and cash crops of our country. While being a valuable source of all the nutrients, it is a low-priced commodity. Groundnut is also called as wonder nut and poor man s cashew nut. Groundnut is cultivated on about 26.5 million hectares in the world, with an average annual production of 35.7 million metric tones. The average yield of world is 1348 kg/ha. India is one of the largest producers of oilseeds in the world and occupies an important position in the Indian agricultural economy. China and India together are the world's leading groundnut producers accounting for nearly 60 percent of the production and 52 percent of the crop area. India cultivates about 7.74 million hectares and produces 7.61 million tonnes of groundnut with the productivity level of kg per hectare. South Africa is the major producer in Africa, while in Latin America almost one half of the total groundnut produced in that region may be credited to Argentina. Especially in the developing countries, groundnut has to play an important role both as oil and food crop. For example in India about 10 kg groundnut per capita are available for domestic consumption. Fat and oil consumption averages less than 5 kg per capita per year. It has been estimated that in the year 2000, approximately 34 million Mt of groundnuts were produced worldwide of which 15 million Mt were produced in China, 6 million Mt in India, 2 million Mt in Nigeria, 1.5 million Mt in United States of America and the rest mostly in other countries. Similarly, in developing countries, most of the groundnuts are used for extraction of oil for domestic consumption and export. For example, Sudan accounted for 17 percent of the world groundnut export trade. Groundnuts are important component of Nigerian diet and about 5 percent of the estimated 58.9 g of crude protein available per head per day is contributed by groundnut. In most of the 54

24 developing countries it provides high-quality cooking oil and is an important source of protein for both human and animal diet and also provides much needed foreign exchange by exporting the kernels and cake. Groundnut is grown on a large scale in almost all the tropical and subtropical countries of the world. The most important groundnut growing countries are India, China, Nigeria, Sudan and USA. It is grown over an area of 24.7 million hectares with a total production of 33 million tonnes in the whole world. India occupies the first place in acreage and second in production. India exports groundnut kernels, shell, and handpicked selected (HPS) groundnut and oil cake forms. Groundnut haulms and leaves serve as a rich source of cattle feed and raw material for preparation of silage. Being a leguminous crop, groundnut is also grown in crop rotation as it synthesises atmospheric nitrogen and adds kg of nitrogen in the field per hectare per season. Groundnuts assumed a significant position in India s oilseeds production during the years to In , the total oilseeds production of India was 215 lakh tonnes of which per cent was contributed by groundnuts. In India, groundnut is grown over an area of 6.9 million hectares with total production of 5.3 million tonnes. Its cultivation is mostly confined to south Indian states, viz, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. The other important states where it is grown are Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. The share of groundnuts in shell was 39, thousand kg valued at Rs. 11, lakh. 55

25 2.22. References 1. Acharya, K.T.,(1990), Oilseeds and Oil Milling in India: A Cultural and Historical Survey, Oxford ans IBH, New Delhi, Pp CMIE,(2007), Directory of Indian Agriculture, Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy, Mumbai,ppl Subba Rao, C.K., (1909), The Ground, Earth or Peanut (Arachis hypogaea), Department of Agriculture, Madras, Bulletin No.28, Pp Anonymous, (1941), Report on the Marketing of Groundnuts in India and Burma, Manager of Publications, Delhi, Marketing Series No. 28, Pp FAO, (1998), FAO Production Year Book, 51 (142): 104-5, Pp.l IEMR (The Institute of Economic and Market Research), (1993), Major Oil and Oilseeds in India, IEMR, New Delhi, Pp Nigam, S.N.Reddy, L.J., Upadhyaya, H.D. and Dwiwedi, H.D., (1994), Genetic Enhancement in Groundnut, in Prasad, M.V.R., Shastry. R.K., Raghavaiah, C.V., and Damodaram, T., (eds), Sustainability in Oilseeds, Indian Society of Oilseeds Resarch, Hyderabad, Pp Sheshadri, C.R., (1952), Groundnut, India Central Oilseeds Committee, Hyderabad, Pp Watt, G., (1892), A Directory of the Economic Products of India, I-VI, Cosmo Publications, Delhi, Pp Badami, V.K., (1936), Arachis Hypogaea Linn, Groundnut or Peanut - Original Habiatat and its Distribution in the World, Journal of Mysore Agriculture Experiment Union, 15 (4),:

26 11. Patel, J.P., (1958), Village Oil Industry, Khadi and Village Industries Commission, Bombay, Pp Watt, G., (1908), The Commercial Products of India, Today and Tomorrows Printers and Publishers, New Delhi, Reprinted 1966,Pp Basu, M.S., (1995), Groundnut Production Technology for Rainfed Kharif, Workshop on Crop Production Management In Oilseeds and Pulses based Cropping Systems, February 22-23,1995, New Delhi. 14. Liberherr, E., (1928), A Few Notes on Indian Groundnuts, The Times Press, Bombay, P Srivastava, U.K., (1988), Groundnut - Financing of Trade, Processing Units and distribution of Finished Products, CMA, Monograph, Indian Institute of Management, ahmedabad, Pp John C.M., Venkatanarayana,G., and Seshadri,C.R., (1955), Varieties and Forms of Groundnut, Indian Joiumal of Agricultural science, 34(4),: