Cottonseed Oil Quality, Utilization and Processing

Abstract

Cotton is one of the most important commercial crops of India and is the single largest natural source of fibre. It plays a dominant role in its agrarian and industrial economy as the backbone of textile industry, which consumes 70% of the country's total fibre produced. It alone accounts for 38% of the country's export and fetches over Rs. 42,000 crores annually to the exchequer. Thus, cotton production plays a vital role in Indian economy, providing employment for more than one million farmers and employees in the domestic textile industry. But, textiles are only the part of this great cotton story. The often-ignored fact is that the cotton plant produces more food for man and feed for animals than fibre. All elements of cotton seed as it is often considered as "Golden Goose": linters, kernels and hulls are used in various consumer products, delicious food and nutritious feed for animals.