Description

The Peanut also known as the groundnut is a legume crop grown mainly for its edible seeds. It is widely grown in the tropics and subtropics environments, being valuable to both small and large commercial exporters. It is classified as both a grain legume and, because of its high oil content, an oil crop. World annual production of shelled peanuts was 42 million tonnes in 2014.

The groundnut or peanut is one of the important legume crops of tropical and semiarid tropical countries, where it provides a major source of edible oil and vegetable protein. Furthermore, Groundnut Kernel contains 47-53% oil and 25-36% protein. India, China, Nigeria, Gambia, Senegal and USA are the major groundnut producing countries. There are two most common names used for this crop i.e. groundnut or peanut. The term groundnut is used in most countries of Asia, Africa, Europe and Australia, while in north and South America it is commonly referred to as peanut.