Aurangabad to host cottonseed oil, meal conclave in July
The Solvent Seed Extractors Association of India (SEA) and the Association of Cotton Seed Crushers of India (AICOSCA) will organize the “4th SEA-AICOSCA Meeting of Cottonseeds, Oils and Meals – 2023” in Aurangabad, Maharashtra on July 7-8.
The conclave will focus on scientific processing of cottonseed, nutritional value and best use of cottonseed cake/meal in cattle feed to achieve high milk production.
Speakers from the fraternity, scholars and researchers of cotton and cottonseed will address the delegates at the conclave. The program will also include various panel discussions, including value addition in the cottonseed supply chain, and price forecasts for cottonseed, oil, cake and meals.
In 2022-23, the area of the Kharif cotton crop is reported to be 12.84 million hectares and production is expected to be around 315 bales (170 kg per bale). Cottonseed makes up two-thirds of the cotton by weight.
Top consumer in Gujarat
According to the SEA, the current production of cottonseed oil in the country is about 12,000 tons (litres), next to rapeseed oil and soybean oil. Gujarat consumes approximately 6 liters of cottonseed oil as direct cooking oil. In other countries, cottonseed oil is mainly used by bulk consumers such as food industry, hotels, restaurants and canteens for frying purposes.
Fried food prepared with cottonseed oil stays fresh for three to four weeks without spoiling, while fried food prepared with other oils spoils much earlier, says a letter from SEA in India.