Despite an increase of approximately 300,000 hectares in groundnut cultivation area in Gujarat, the groundnut crop for the kharif season of 2025-26 is projected to remain at around 4.6 million tonnes (mt), unchanged from the previous year, 2024-25.
BV Mehta, Executive Director of the Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA), reported that the SEA Groundnut Promotion Council conducted an evaluation across Gujarat from October 9 to 11. This assessment focused on crop size, quality, seed varieties, and other crucial factors. Mehta noted that the SEA has been performing this critical exercise for over two decades. The team specifically spent three days in Saurashtra, assessing crop conditions in leading groundnut-producing districts.
Following extensive field visits and discussions with millers, traders, brokers, and farmers, the estimated groundnut crop size has been determined to be consistent with the previous season, remaining at approximately 4.6 mt for 2025-26. The area under groundnut cultivation increased to 2.202 million hectares this year, up from 1.909 million hectares in 2024-25, reflecting a rise of 293,000 hectares. However, the overall productivity has declined, dropping from 2,210 kilograms per hectare in 2024-25 to 2,092 kilograms per hectare in 2025-26.
“This decline is primarily due to a dry spell from mid-July to mid-August, followed by excessive rainfall that negatively affected yields,” Mehta explained.
The increase in area has been counterbalanced by reduced productivity, which has kept total output at levels similar to last year. Initially, groundnut production for Gujarat was estimated at 4.22 mt for 2024-25. After revisions of availability data and processing figures, this estimate was updated to 4.6 mt, indicating a 10 percent increase over the preliminary figures, with the final production confirmed at 4.6 mt for 2024-25.
Among key groundnut-producing districts, Rajkot is projected to yield 743,000 tonnes in 2025-26, compared to 536,000 tonnes in 2024-25, from an area of 330,000 hectares, up from 268,000 hectares. The estimated crop yield in Rajkot is expected to rise from 2,000 kilograms per hectare in 2024-25 to 2,250 kilograms per hectare in 2025-26.
In Jamnagar, production is anticipated to be 633,000 tonnes in 2025-26, up from 478,000 tonnes in 2024-25, covering an area of 225,000 hectares, an increase from 182,000 hectares. The crop yield from Jamnagar is estimated at 2,812.50 kilograms per hectare in the upcoming season, compared to 2,625 kilograms per hectare previously.
Conversely, crop yields are forecasted to decline in districts such as Amreli, Bhavnagar, Dwarka, Junagadh, and Gir Somnath, among others.
Published on October 11, 2025.
