Gujarat: Groundnut sowing hits record 125 pc

Gujarat farmers have sown kharif crops across more than 81 lakh hectares, covering 94 per cent of the state’s target area, according to official data.

The state has so far received over 85 per cent of its seasonal average rainfall, with officials expressing confidence that sowing could surpass 100 per cent of the target within the next fortnight, as per official government data.

The Directorate of Agriculture reported that rainfall this year has been both sufficient and well-timed, enabling higher sowing across crops compared to the three-year average.

Gujarat, which leads the country in groundnut and cotton production, has seen particularly large sowing of these two crops.

Groundnuts have been planted on 21.88 lakh hectares, while cotton has covered 20.71 lakh hectares. Groundnut cultivation has hit a record high, with sowing completed on 125 per cent of the normal area, far above the 19.10 lakh hectares recorded during the same period last year.

Oilseed crops overall have been planted on 30.46 lakh hectares, compared to 27.69 lakh hectares last year.

Other major sowings include cereals on 13.57 lakh hectares, pulses on 4.13 lakh hectares, fodder on 8.92 lakh hectares, and vegetables on 2.49 lakh hectares.

Notably, sowing of groundnut, tur, soybean, paddy, and moong has already surpassed 100 per cent of the average for the past three years, while millet, maize, and vegetables have crossed 90 per cent.

Gujarat is home to approximately 40.4 lakh farming families, accounting for nearly 61 per cent of all households in the state, as per the Union Ministry of Agriculture’s 2021–22 data. These farmers cultivate a diverse range of crops across the largely arid and semi-arid landscape.

The kharif season predominantly sees cultivation of groundnut, cotton, oilseeds (notably soybean), cereals like maize, bajra, and paddy, as well as pulses such as tur and urad, alongside significant areas under fodder and vegetable crops.

Additionally, Gujarat leads the nation in groundnut, cotton, castor, cumin, fennel, and psyllium husk production, underlining its prominence in both cash and food crops.