Advances in Social Research: Vol. 2, No. 1, p. 1-6, June, 2016 Comparative Analysis of Groundnut Growing States in Western India M.K. Jangid*, M.B. Nikam, Latika Sharma and Sitaram Jat Department of Agricultural Economics and Management, Rajasthan College of Agriculture, MPUAT, Udaipur, Rajasthan-313001, India *Corresponding author: jangidmkindia2007@gmail.com ABSTRACT The research study entitled “Comparative analysis of groundnut growing states in Western India” is an atempt to determine the cost structure and changes in cost of cultivation and to identify which state in Western India is having comparative economic advantage in the production of groundnut. The study is based on secondary data collected from various published sources for the period under reference. Cost structure of the crop was analyzed by working out the share of each item of cost in total cost of cultivation. The changes in structure of cost of cultivation of groundnut over twenty years were assessed by comparing the cost structure of each crop during 2012-13 as compared to 1992-93. The states included in the study were Gujarat and Maharashtra. The results would help in planning the future strategies and policy direction for oilseed crop productivity in the states. Among the groundnut growing states, Gujarat state emerged with higher growth rate of 3.72 per cent per annum for the yield of groundnut during the period of 1992-93 to 2012-13. Gujarat state was found to have higher stability in the yield of groundnut, as the detrended cv (coeicient of variation) for the yield of groundnut was the lowest for Gujarat (2.17%). The total cost of cultivation of groundnut has increased in Gujarat by 567.21 per cent and in Maharashtra by 581.77 per cent during the study period. Over the years, the net income from groundnut has increased in Maharashtra by 1153.24 per cent and in Gujarat by 389.06 per cent. Keywords: Groundnut, growth, stability, costs & returns, comparative advantage In India, agriculture sector in general and oilseeds in particular are prone to high risk and uncertainties. Despite that, India is the largest producer of oilseeds in the world and this sector occupies an important position in the agriculture economy. Oilseeds stand next only to food grains in production and agricultural economy of the country. During 1950-51, area under nine oilseed crops viz. groundnut, soybean, rapeseed and mustard, sesamum, castorseed, sunlower, salower, linseed and nigerseed were just 10.73 million hectares raised to 28.53 million hectares in 2013-14, registering an annual compound growth rate of 1.50 per cent per annum. While the production of these oilseeds rose from 5.16 million tonnes to 32.88 million tonnes for the same period showing an impressive growth rate of 3.05 per cent per annum and the average yield registered a growth rate of 1.53 per cent per annum increasing from 481 kg/ha to 1153 kg/ha. The area, production and yield of oilseeds in India have registered steady increase since the inception of Technology Mission in Oilseeds and Pulses (TMOP) in April 1986 and reached the peak of 28.53 million hectares in area, 32.88 million tones in production (2013-14) and 1193 kg/ha in productivity during 2010-11. The area and production of oilseed crops is concentrated in western and southern parts of India, mainly Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Out of six major oilseeds producing states, four major states viz. Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra belongs to Western India. Western India contributes about 65.13 per cent of the India’s groundnut production of which Gujarat contributes 50.77 per cent followed by Rajasthan (9.39%), Maharashtra (3.41%) and Madhya Pradesh (2.06%) (Agricultural Statistics at a Glance, 2014). Groundnut is called as the ‘king’ of oilseeds. It is one of the most important food and cash crop of country. Being a valuable source of all the nutrients, it is a low priced commodity. Groundnut is also called as wonder nut and poor men’s cashew nut. Almost every part of Groundnut has commercial value. Economically, groundnut is a very valuable oil seed crop of India