Where and How Castor Is Grown
Castor grows best in the light soils of North Gujarat: Banaskantha, Mehsana, Patan, Sabarkantha and Gandhinagar, with Kutch and Saurashtra also growing it. Rajasthan (Jalore, Barmer, Sirohi) is the second state. Castor is a hardy, drought-tolerant crop, and hybrids such as GCH 7 developed by Gujarat's agricultural universities give high yields. The spikes are picked several times over winter.
Crushing and Derivatives
Castor seed is crushed into oil in Gujarat's mills; the oil is then refined or converted into derivatives such as hydrogenated castor oil, 12-hydroxystearic acid, sebacic acid and undecylenic acid. Castor meal is used as organic manure. The seed is toxic and is never eaten.
- Jayant Agro-Organics LtdMumbai · listed; castor oil and derivativesAboutExplore
- NK Proteins Pvt LtdAhmedabad · castor oil and edible oilsAboutExplore
- Gokul Agro Resources LtdGujarat · castor oil and edible oilsAboutExplore
- AWL Agri Business LtdCastor oil and oleochemicalsAboutExplore
- Deesa and Patan Market Yards, GujaratMain castor seed marketsAboutExplore
- NCDEX castor seedFutures and spot price benchmarkAboutExplore
- Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA)Mumbai · edible oil and oilmeal industry body; publishes import and export dataAboutExplore
- Indian Oilseeds and Produce Export Promotion Council (IOPEPC)Export promotion for groundnut, sesame and other oilseedsAboutExplore
- National Mission on Edible Oils – OilseedsGovernment mission to raise oilseed output and cut importsAboutExplore
Quality and Trade
Castor seed is traded on oil content and moisture; exporters of castor oil supply grades such as First Special Grade (FSG), Commercial and Pale Pressed Grade, and many derivatives. Most castor oil is exported, with China the largest buyer, followed by Europe, the USA and Japan.
Price Drivers
Because India dominates world supply, castor prices depend mostly on the size of the Gujarat crop, carry-over stocks and Chinese demand. The NCDEX castor seed contract is the main price benchmark. A weak monsoon or late sowing in North Gujarat can lift prices sharply.
Sowing
July–August.Harvest
December to March, in several pickings.Peak arrivals
February to April.Castor by State
Tap a state for its districts, markets, government buying and buyers.
Processed Products
Related: Groundnut · Mustard · Soybean · Sesame · Sunflower · Castor · Cottonseed · All crops · Soils.in for farmer help
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