India produces around 18 to 20 Lakh tonnes of castor seed and meets over 90% of global castor oil demand. Exports of castor oil and its derivatives are estimated at over Rs 15,000 crore, or USD 1.8 billion annually which puts India in a globally responsible position, encouraging us to continuously improve productivity, quality, value addition, and global credibility.
IIn view of this, SEA had been engaged by Indian Agribusiness Systems Ltd (AgriWatch), a leading agri-commodity research and consulting firm, using a combination of field surveys and NDVI-based remote sensing analysis to assess the crop size.
The survey indicates an overall improvement in yield and stable crop health across major growing regions. Estimates are based on two rounds of field surveys conducted up to the first week of February 2026, with further re-validation planned during March–April. The total acreage of castor seed is up by 3 per cent to 8.9 lakh hectares and the average yield is up by 8 per cent to 1,977 kg per hectare.
The increase in production has been supported by timely sowing, well-distributed monsoon rainfall, and wider adoption of high-yielding varieties. Crop health across states remained largely satisfactory, with only localized stress due to excess rainfall or dry spells, which did not materially impact overall output.
Gujarat continues to be the largest contributor, with production estimated at 13.65 lakh tonnes, an increase of 9% over last year. Although acreage marginally declined to 6.34 lakh hectares, higher productivity at 2,153 kg/ha—supported by good crop management and favorable weather—offset the area reduction.
Castor acreage in Rajasthan increased by 10% to 1.88 lakh hectares, while production rose sharply by 18% to 3.22 lakh tonnes. Timely sowing, adequate monsoon rainfall, and better crop management in key districts such as Barmer, Jalore, and Jodhpur supported yield improvement.Combined production from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana is estimated at 0.58 lakh tonnes, up from 0.54 lakh tonnes last year. Crop conditions were generally normal, supported by irrigation and stable rainfall, with average yields improving to 1,538 kg/ha.