Vijayawada to host 6th COTTONSEED, OIL & MEAL CONCLAVE 2025

The Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA) & All India Cottonseed Crushers’ Association (AICOSCA) will host the 6th SEA–AICOSCA Cottonseed, Oil & Meal Conclave at Hotel Vivanta, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh on August 02-03, 2025.

The two-day concalve will focus on promoting the cottonseed oil among consumers by discussing and highlighting its myriad virtues. As we all know, 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 fuels us and our 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.

The Hon’ble Shri Dr. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, Union Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development, Govt of Andhra Pradesh is being invited to inaugurate the event along with distinguished guests including Shri Kinjarapu Atchannaidu, Minister of Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development & Fisheries, Govt of Andhra Pradesh, Shri Roop Rashi, CEO of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission, Shri O.P. Goenka, Director of 3F Limited, and Dr. R. Sarada Jayalakshmi Devi, Vice-Chancellor of ANGRAU, Guntur and several industry leaders will also participate in the conclave.

With the theme “Revitalising Cottonseed: Growth Pathways for Oil, Meal, and Beyond,” the conclave will 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 Mr. Sanjeev Asthana, President, SEA, “India produces 12.0 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.”

Adding to this Mr. Sandeep Bajoria, Chairman AICOSCA, said, “Cottonseed offers a wide range of valuable applications. Cottonseed oil is one of the most popular cooking oils in kitchens. It is used as a yardstick for measuring the flavour as well as odour qualities in other edible oils. It is also one of the main ingredients in most oriental dishes. Cottonseed meal is an excellent feed meal ingredient. The conclave will thus, focus on propagating the use and value of cottonseed oil, advancing processing technologies, and promoting cottonseed meal’s role in dairy nutrition.”

Dr. B.V Mehta, Executive Director SEA highlighted that “current production of cottonseed oil is about 11.5 to 12.0 lakh tons per annum, however, potential is about 18.0 lakh tons, which can be harnessed if the cottonseed is processed by the modern scientific methods. This will also help to meet our growing requirement of edible oil and reduce the dependence on import of edible oils”.

Mr. P. Veera Narayan, Vice Chairman, AICOSCA and Director, Sri Dhanalakshmi Cotton & Rice Mills Pvt. Ltd., Guntur said, “The 6th Cotton Seed and Oil Meal Conclave will focus on revitalizing cottonseed oil processing and usage in the country. Andhra Pradesh is one of the largest producers of cotton seed and it is appropriate that we host the conference in Vijayawada this year. The program will include keynote speeches, expert panels, and discussions on value chain development, innovations, and price trends. More than 300 delegates, including scientists, industry leaders, and traders, are expected to participate in this national platform, fostering collaboration and sustainable growth in the sector.