Cottonseed oil has always been imported into South Africa for use by the food industries but is not widely available. It takes special equipment and expertise to process cottonseed. Hence it is a labour of love and passion for cotton that makes it possible for us to bring pure cottonseed oil to the South African consumers.
Where is cotton grown in South Africa?
Although cotton flourishes in warm, humid weather, close to 50% of South Africa’s cotton is planted in very dry areas in the Northern Cape, North West, Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces. Cottonseeds contain an edible oil and the solid parts (after extraction) are, amongst others, used as a protein-rich ingredient of feed rations for adult livestock.
What is pure cottonseed oil?
Pure cottonseed oil is now available in consumer packs for the first time in South Africa. It is known not to mask but enhance the food flavour. It is the gold standard against which the taste profiles of other oils is measured.
What are the byproducts of cotton?
Some of its byproducts include cottonseed oil and cottonseed meal, a protein-rich animal feed and recent tests indicated that raw cottonseed oil is suitable for the production of paraffin and diesel. A commercial irrigation cotton farm in Marble Hall area of the Limpopo Province.
What is cottonseed used for?
Cottonseed, which makes up around 60% (by weight) of the cotton crop, is used to feed cattle and poultry and crushed to extract cottonseed oil. Cottonseed is also further processed for fibre (linters) and used for replanting cotton crops. The cottonseed is separated from the cotton fibre (lint) at the gin.
Is cotton a good crop for South Africa?
Cotton is considered one of the world’s greatest poverty alleviating crops, with 150 million people worldwide relying on it for income. According to the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC), this drought-resistant crop creates five jobs for every ton produced, thus having massive potential in South Africa and the rest of the continent.