India, March 6 -- Dr M S Basu, Ex Director ICAR; Visiting Scientist ICRISAT and UNIDO International Consultant (Africa)

India, despite being the world's largest producer of groundnut, continues to export a substantial share of its produce to the European Union as low-value bird feed. In doing so, the country has inadvertently acquired the dubious distinction of being the EU's leading supplier of feed-grade peanuts. This is not merely a commercial anomaly; it reflects a deeper strategic, ecological, and economic failure in India's agri-export orientation.

This argument builds on my earlier article, "Repositioning Groundnut - The Pride of Gujarat: From Bird Feed Exports to Global Health Food Leadership" (Nov 13, 2025). With the India-EU T...