कृषि और प्रसंस्कृत खाद्य उत्पाद निर्यात विकास प्राधिकरण (एपीडा) Agricultural and Processed Food Products
Export Development Authority (APEDA)

Introduction:
India is native to guar or cluster beans which are used as a vegetable. Guar gum is an extract of the guar bean, where it acts as a food and water store. Guar gum comes from the endosperm of the seed of the legume plant Cyamopsis tetragonoloba; an annual plant, grown in dry regions of India as a food crop for animals. The guar bean is principally grown in India and Pakistan, with smaller crops grown in the U.S., Australia, China, and Africa. The drought-resistant guar bean can be eaten as a green bean, fed to cattle, or used in green manure. For hundreds of years, Guar has been used as a vegetable in India. Guar is a rain-fed crop, sown in July-August and harvested in October-November. Being a leguminous crop, guar fixes nitrogen, making the soil fertile.
The growing season of guar is 14 -16 weeks and requires reasonably warm weather and moderate flashing rainfall with plenty of sunshine. Too much rain can cause the plant to become more 'leafy' thereby reducing the number of pods or the number of seeds per pod which affects the size and yield of seeds. The crop is generally sown after the monsoon rainfall in the second half of July to early August and is harvested in late October to early November. The Guar is a natural rain-fed crop. Depending on the monsoon rainfall the total size of the Guar crop varies from year to year.
The consumption pattern of guar seeds is largely influenced by the demands of the petroleum industry. India accounts for 80 percent of the world’s guar produce, of which 72 percent comes from Rajasthan.
About 90 percent of guar gum processed in India is exported. There are various grades of Guar gums pure or derivative. Its ability to suspend solids, bind water by hydrogen bonding, control the viscosity of aqueous solutions, and form strong tough films have accounted for its rapid growth and use in various industries. It is used in food, paper, and textile industries. But most of the demand for the gum is due to the expansion of the shale gas and oil industries. Around 90% of the export is used to extract oil and shale gas, a natural gas trapped in shale formations. Guar gum either modified or unmodified, is a very versatile and efficient biopolymer covering a wide range of industrial applications such as Oil drilling, Textile printing, Human food and Pet Food, Paper, Explosive, Water Treatment, etc. where it is binding, thickening film-forming and lubricating factors are of great interest.
Areas of Cultivation:
The main areas of cultivation of Guar gum in India are Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh.
Exports:
India is the major exporter of Guargum to the world; it exports various forms of Guar products to many countries.

Major Export Destinations (2023-24): U.S.A, Germany, Russia, Norway and Netherland