In Gujarat, it is grown in an area of about 3.5 lakh hectares with an annual production of about 6.8 lakh tonnes of castor seeds. The most important castor growing districts in Gujarat are Mehsana, Sabarkantha, Banaskantha, Kutch, Ahmedabad, Kheda, Vadodara, Rajkor, Jamnagar and Gandhinagar.
Where does castor oil come from?
Probably native to tropical Africa, the castor-oil plant has become naturalized throughout warm areas of the world. The plants are chiefly cultivated in India, China, and Brazil, largely as the source of castor oil. Although the plant is the only species in its genus, there are hundreds of natural forms and many horticultural varieties.
Which states grow Castor in India?
The major castor growing states in the country are Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Orissa and Rajasthan. It is also grown in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Mahrashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Bihar.
How many types of Castor are there in India?
In India, castor is known from very early days and is referred to in Sanskrit literature. Castor plant belongs to Euphorbiaceae family. A large number of cultivars or types exist under Ricinus communis.Papova (1926) divided the species into 6 sub-species on ecogeographical grouping.