In India, Groundnut is considered the “king of oilseeds”. Groundnut is also called a wonder nut or poor man’s almond. It is available throughout the year due to two-crop cycles, harvested in March and October. It is one of the most important foods and cash crops of our country. While being a valuable source of all the nutrients, it is a low-priced commodity. Groundnut is particularly valued for its protein content in kernels (24-36%). On an equal weight basis (kg for kg), groundnuts contain more protein than meat and about 2 times more than eggs. Being an oilseed crop, it contains 40% to 53% oil.

In addition to protein, groundnuts are a good source of calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, and boron. Groundnuts also contain vitamin E and small amounts of the vitamin B complex. The protein-rich press residues (de-oiled cake) are used as animal feed. About 50% of the world's groundnut crop is used for oil extraction, whereas 35% is used directly for human consumption or confectionery purposes, and the remaining 15% is used as seed and animal feed. Groundnut kernels, usually cooked or roasted, are appreciated worldwide as a flavor snack food, nutritionally dense due to their high energy, protein, and fat content. Groundnuts are also the primary ingredient of many finished products such as peanut butter, confections, nutritional bars, and are used in numerous dishes.

Groundnut Global Scenario 2020-21

India is the largest exporter of groundnut in the world. The country has exported 6.38 lakh tons during the year 2020-21 (APEDA). Indian groundnuts are available in different varieties: Bold, Java, and Red Natal. Apart from raw edible peanuts, India also supplies blanched peanuts, roasted salted peanuts, dry roasted peanuts, peanut butter, and a variety of peanut-based products (IOPEPC).

The major groundnut-producing countries in the world are India, China, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, Burma, and the United States of America. Out of the total area of 18.9 million hectares and the total production of 31.09 MT in the world, these countries account for about 69 percent of the area and 70 percent of the production. India occupies the first place, both in regard to the area and the production in the world. (1)

Groundnuts are cultivated in about 115 countries with a global annual production of 31.09 Mn T of kernels. There has not been any significant change in global production over the past several years. Nearly 58% of the global production comes from Asia, China, and India, which are the top two producers and contribute 35.4% and 15.4% respectively to the total global peanut production. Nigeria (9.0%) and the USA (6%) are the next two contributors. (1)

Export Specification of Groundnut

Groundnut for edible use requires considerable processing and sorting to ensure high quality; removal of stones and other foreign matter; removal of shell, removal of kernels that are shriveled, off-color, or otherwise unsatisfactory; and grading for size and uniformity. In this process, a large measure of hand-sorting is needed to get the required quality. Therefore, edible groundnuts are traditionally called ‘Hand Picked and Selected Groundnuts’ or ‘HPS Groundnuts’ (HPSG) in trade circles. In developed countries machines are also used for sorting, but outside the USA machines are rarely used for the entire sorting process.

Basic quality requirements for export of groundnut

Parameter Requirement for Export of Groundnut to European Union

• Although India has a share of about 20% in World Markets (about 7 lakh tons), its share in the EU is less than 1% (about 7,000 tons)
• The EU has fixed very stringent levels of aflatoxin (2/4 ppb) for Groundnuts which acts as a Non-Tariff barrier.
• IOPEPC has pitched for rationale limits in Codex (10ppb)
• EU offers tremendous potential for Growth for Indian Exports which can be achieved by fixation of 10 ppb aflatoxin limits

Conclusion

The projected domestic demand for groundnut would be about 25MT in 2050. The area under groundnut may not shrink any further and would stay around 6-7 million hectares. Considering the current national average productivity of 1687 kg/ha, a growth rate of about 4-5% in productivity is required to meet the demand. Consistent demand for Indian HPSG in Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand keep exports buoyant. The domestic consumption of groundnuts has also seen an increase.

Reference

1. Solvent Extraction Association published articles from peanut conference by Shri Kishore
2. http://www.iopepc.org