Safflower seed, Oil & Oil cake

Introduction:
The safflower is an important oil-seed crop. It is a highly ­branched, glabrous, annual plant, 0.5 to 1.5 m. tall. It has long and stout taper root and spirally arranged, dark green and glossy leaves. Florets are tubular and usually orange-yellow in color. Safflower seeds are bitter in taste and look more or less like the seeds of orange.

It is one of humanity's oldest crops cultivated in India mainly for oil from the seeds and reddish dye from the flowers.

Over the half of world Safflower production is taking place in India.

USES:
 Safflower is a multi-purpose crop species for oil, medicinal and industrial uses. Safflower flowers have been used in preparations of ayurvedic medicines in India since a long back.

Plant part

Product

Uses

(1) Seed

i) Quality edible oil containing polyunsaturated fats

ii) Meal left after oil extraction

Associated with lowering of blood cholesterol.


Used as animal feed.

(2) Flowers

i) Natural food and cosmetic colouring (Carthamin dye)


ii) Dyes (Carthamidin and carthamin)
iii) Medicines 

Gives yellow to bright orange colour to food products and cosmetics such as lipsticks.

Give crimson, rose, pink or light pink colour to cotton yarn.

Extract of florets contains nutrients and is used in treatment of many illnesses.

(3) Whole plant

i) Tender shoots and thinnings or nippings

ii) Dried stalk or straw

Used for preparing a nutritious vegetable

Used as a fodder similar to cereal straw or as fuel for biomass gasifies to produce energy and char for soil conditioning 

Local Names of Safflower in India:
 

Hindi

Kusum

Marathi

Kardi

Gujarati

Kasumbi

Uttar Pradesh

Bare

Cropping Season:
The safflower crop is usually grown as a Rabi crop. Its sowing season is during October-November and is harvested during March-April, generally as an intercrop with cereals such as wheat and sorghum. It is one of the most important crops for marginal farmers.

Growing Area: It is mainly grown in Maharashtra, Karnataka and parts of Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Bihar, etc. Maharashtra and Karnataka are the two most important safflower growing states accounting for 72 and 23 per cent of area and 63 and 35 per cent of production, respectively.

At present India and China are the only major producers of safflower in the world.
 

States

Safflower Production
(in Lakh Tonnes)

2002-03

2001-02

Maharashtra

1.4

1.9

Andhrapradesh

0.1

0.1

Karnataka

0.5

0.8

M.P.

 

0.1

Total

2

2.9

Safflower seed & Oil production in India:
 Safflower in India has mainly remained a minor crop grown on small plots for the growers' personal use. During the year 1999-2000 Safflower seed production was 2.77 Lakh MT and Safflower Oil production derived from it was 0.83 Lakh MT. Where as during 2000-01 this figures has declined to 1.9 Lakh MT & 0.51 Lakh MT respectively.


*Fourth Advance Estimates of Oilseeds & Other Commercial Crops Production for 2002-03

Safflower seed Oil:
 Around the world, safflower is mainly grown for its edible oil.Because of its limited production in the country, however, there is only one major player in the market for safflower seed refined cooking oil-Marico Industries Ltd. Marico is marketing the oil under a brand name - SAFOLA. It is perhaps the highest priced edible oil available in India. The oil shortage in 1997-98 benefited the company the maximum, when the price of Safola went up to about Rs. 100 per litre.

Safflower Cake:
 The meal left after oil extraction from the decorticated seed is used for animal feed, while that obtained from undecorticated seeds is used for manure. The cake contains about 7.9% nitrogen, 1.9% potash and 2.2% phosphoric acid and its application as manure is supposed to greatly improve the physical properties of heavy soils. Although cattle apparently find safflower cake palatable, its bitter taste maker it unacceptable to humans.

 Export from India:
 Indian safflower seed is used in bird feeds in the US. However, because of its high price in India the exports are limited.

Safflower Prices:
The world prices of safflower oil are less than half of Indian price.
 

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