Trends and Economic Dynamics of Guar in India

Guar was once a low-value crop, but recent changes in global markets have made guar crops that fetch large profits. The value of exports of Indian guar products increased at a galloping  pace from 602.95 to 21287.01 crores during 2000–2013, making guar products the largest agricultural export in those years. However, the value of exports later declined to 1949.07 crores in 2020–21. The proportion of guar gum powder in total guar products exported from India has remained high, ranging between 61-66 % (in terms of quantity) and 75 % (in terms of value) for the last five years. The study focused on the global production and trade of guar products, the composition of guar products exported from India, trends and variations in guar production, trends in prices, major aspects of demand and supply, uses of guar products, and their derivatives. The guar area, production, and productivity in India showed a positive trend in the last 20 years (2000-2020). Monthly and seasonal fluctuations in guar prices have been observed over time. As for the long-term trend, guar prices in Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Haryana increased gradually from January 2003 to June 2010 and, after that, continued to drop sharply. The supply of guar is greatly dependent on the amount and pattern of precipitation as its cultivation is restricted to dry regions of the country. Globally, oil drilling and mining is the primary consumer industry of guar gum. Farmers and industrialists confront significant obstacles, i.e., price instability, low productivity, unpredictable guar output, low investment in R&D, etc.