Growth and Instability Analysis of Groundnut Production in India and Karnataka

Groundnut is grown throughout the tropics and extended to the subtropical countries. India is the second largest producer of groundnut in the world after China. The fact is that groundnut crops in India, particularly in Karnataka are mainly covered under rain fed situation, which in turn has to depend on the arrival of monsoon, climatic changes and drought. Hence, the productivity level of groundnut crop was erratic. It was in this backdrop, an attempt was made through the present study to examine the growth and instability of groundnut in India and Karnataka by way of analyzing the time series data of 48 years. The results revealed that the level of instability was marginally higher in groundnut area (8.7 %) during period II compared to period I (2.9%) and period III (7.3%). The variation in production and yield of groundnut was higher during the period III compared to period I and II. Change in the mean area is contributing more to change in average production of groundnut in India and in Karnataka followed by interaction between changes in mean area and mean yield. Change in area variance is the predominant component contributing to the change in variance of production of groundnut in India as well as in Karnataka. From the outcome of the result, it is concluded that the researchers and policy makers have to pay more attention to develop location specific cultural practice to increase and sustain groundnut production and yield in the nation.