Vijayawada to host 6th cottonseed, oil and meal conclave

The Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA) & All India Cottonseed Crushers’ Association (AICOSCA) will host the 6th SEA–AICOSCA Cottonseed, Oil & Meal Conclave here on August 2 and 3.

The two-day conclave will focus on promoting the cottonseed oil among consumers by discussing and highlighting its myriad virtues. Cotton stands alone as nature’s versatile marvel, offering a trifecta of essential provisions for mankind. While its fibre weaves the fabric of our lives, its seed benefits livestock. Cottonseed oil offers excellent frying opportunities and keeps human health in check. The conclave will be a reminder to optimally utilizing cottonseed/cake/meal in our daily and dairy lives.

With the *theme “Revitalising Cottonseed: Growth Pathways for Oil, Meal, and Beyond,”* the conclave is expected to explore ways to maximize the potential of cottonseed oil and its by-products to enhance India’s edible oil security, livestock feed industry, and rural economy. Despite being a very important crop, cotton acreage has declined by 9.8% in 2024-2025, down to 114.47 lakh hectares, with production expected to fall to 307 lakh bales from 325 lakh bales the previous year. Since cottonseed comprises nearly two-thirds of the cotton weight, this decline has a direct impact on oil and feed production.

According to Sanjeev Asthana, President, SEA, “India produces 12 lakh tonnes of cottonseed oil annually, making it the third-largest edible oil after soybean and rapeseed. It is widely used in Gujarat for cooking due to its superior frying properties, its adoption in other regions remains limited and is mainly consumed by institutional buyers like restaurants and food processors. Through this conclave we envisage to improve the awareness and encourage adoption of cotton seed oil for domestic consumption.”

Dr. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, Union Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development, will inaugurate the event along with distinguished guests including Kinjarapu Atchannaidu, Minister of Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development & Fisheries, Andhra Pradesh, Roop Rashi, CEO of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission, O.P. Goenka, Director of 3F Limited, and Dr. R. Sarada Jayalakshmi Devi, Vice-Chancellor of ANGRAU. Several industry leaders will also participate.