Growth and Variability Dynamics of Groundnut Cultivation in Odisha: A Five-decade Statistical Analysis

Groundnut cultivation in Odisha has been subject to changes in cultivated area, yield and production, but their long-term patterns differ across periods and districts. This study assessed growth, trend direction and temporal variability in groundnut area, yield and production at the state level for 1974–75 to 2023–24 and across 30 districts for 1994–95 to 2023–24. Secondary agricultural statistics were analysed using simple and compound growth rates, the Mann–Kendall trend test, Sen’s slope estimator, the coefficient of variation and one-way analysis of variance, with period-wise mean comparisons. State-level results indicated highly significant area expansion during 1974–75 to 1983–84 (simple growth rate, 11.92%; compound growth rate, 12.62%), followed by significant contraction during 1994–95 to 2003–04. Across the full 50-year period, yield increased significantly (simple growth rate, 1.03%; compound growth rate, 1.04%), whereas the overall area trend was not significant. The Mann–Kendall test confirmed a significant increasing trend in yield but a non-significant increasing trend in production. District-level results demonstrated increasing area and production trends in Koraput, Deogarh and Rayagada, alongside declining area trends in several established groundnut-growing districts. Yield variability was lower in the final decade than in the first, with coefficients of variation of 4.98% and 17.94%, respectively. The findings indicate a shift towards yield-led growth, together with marked spatial differences that warrant district-specific attention.