Drop in productivity offsets nearly 3 lakh hectare increase, keeping overall output on par with previous year

The Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA) has projected Gujarat’s kharif 2025-26 groundnut production at 46 lakh tonne (lt), maintaining parity with the previous season, despite an expansion of nearly 3 lakh hectares under cultivation. The total area sown increased to 22.02 lakh hectares in 2025-26 from 19.09 lakh hectares in 2024-25, reflecting a 15 per cent growth in acreage.

According to BV Mehta, Executive Director of SEA, the Groundnut Promotion Council conducted an extensive field survey across Saurashtra , assessing crop size, quality, seed varieties, and agronomic practices. Discussions with millers, traders, brokers, and farmers confirmed that the larger cultivated area was offset by a decline in productivity, keeping total output roughly the same as last year.

Productivity dipped from 2,210 kg per hectare in 2024-25 to 2,092 kg per hectare in 2025-26, largely due to a dry spell from mid-July to mid-August, followed by excessive rainfall during the critical flowering and pod-setting stages, impacting yields. The initial production estimate of 42.2 lt for 2024-25 was later revised to 46 lt after factoring in processing and availability data, establishing the benchmark against which this season is compared.

Among key districts, Rajkot is estimated to produce 7.43 lt from 3.30 lakh hectares, up from 5.36 lt in 2024-25 on 2.68 lakh hectares, with yields rising to 2,250 kg per hectare. Jamnagar is expected to contribute 6.33 lt from 2.25 lakh hectares, up from 4.78 lt, with productivity improving to 2,812.5 kg per hectare. Conversely, districts such as Amreli, Bhavnagar, Dwarka, Junagadh, and Gir Somnath are likely to witness a decline in crop yields due to localized weather disruptions.

Mehta emphasized that while Gujarat’s groundnut acreage has expanded significantly, the combined effect of climatic challenges and uneven yield patterns has kept the overall production at last year’s level. SEA’s long-standing ground-level surveys, conducted over the past two decades, continue to provide critical intelligence for industry planning, procurement, and trade decisions in India’s groundnut sector.