Oilseed Cakes

Oilseed Cakes from Pakistan

Oilseed cakes are produced when oilseeds are crushed in mechanical expeller presses or processed through solvent extraction to remove the oil. The remaining solid residue (cake or meal) retains significant protein, residual oil, fibre, and minerals, making it a valuable feed ingredient. Pakistan is one of the world’s largest cotton producers and a significant mustard/rapeseed grower, ensuring large, consistent volumes of both cake types from the country’s oil milling sector.

Specifications

Cottonseed Cake

• Material: Residue after oil extraction from cottonseeds

• Crude Protein: 22-28%

• Residual Oil/Fat: 6-10% (expeller), 1-3% (solvent extracted)

• Crude Fibre: 18-25%

• Moisture: 8-12% max

• Ash: 5-7%

• Gossypol (free): 0.02-0.08% (species-dependent toxicity factor)

• Aflatoxin: < 20 ppb

• Energy (ME Poultry): 7-8 MJ/kg

• Colour: Light brown to tan, fibrous texture

• Form: Cake blocks, broken cake, or meal (ground)

Mustard Cake (Rapeseed/Sarson Cake)

• Material: Residue after oil extraction from mustard/rapeseed

• Crude Protein: 30-38%

• Residual Oil/Fat: 8-12% (expeller), 1-3% (solvent extracted)

• Crude Fibre: 10-14%

• Moisture: 8-12% max

• Ash: 8-10%

• Glucosinolates: Variable (species-dependent anti-nutritional factor)

• Aflatoxin: < 20 ppb

• Energy (ME Poultry): 8-9 MJ/kg

• Colour: Dark yellowish-green to olive-brown

• Form: Cake blocks, broken cake, or meal (ground)

Two Products Explained

Cottonseed Cake
Produced by pressing or solvent-extracting oil from cottonseeds at oil mills. Pakistan is one of the world’s top 5 cotton producers, with the cotton ginning and oil extraction industry concentrated in Punjab and Sindh. Cottonseed cake has moderate protein (22-28%) and high fibre, making it a cost-effective ingredient for ruminant feed (dairy cattle, beef cattle, buffalo, sheep, goat). It contains gossypol, a naturally occurring compound in cotton that limits its use in monogastric animals (poultry, pigs) and young calves. Ruminants tolerate gossypol well due to rumen detoxification.

Mustard Cake (Sarson/Rapeseed Cake)
Produced by pressing or solvent-extracting oil from mustard/rapeseed (sarson) at oil mills. Pakistan grows mustard as a Rabi (winter) oilseed crop across Punjab. Mustard cake has higher protein (30-38%) than cottonseed cake, making it one of the most protein-rich oilseed cakes available. It has a characteristic pungent mustard aroma and dark yellowish-green colour. Mustard cake is widely used in dairy cattle, buffalo, and beef cattle feeding. It contains glucosinolates, anti-nutritional compounds that limit inclusion rates in poultry and pig rations. Mustard cake is also used as an organic fertilizer and soil amendment.

Industrial Uses

Cottonseed Cake:

• Dairy cattle feed: Cottonseed cake is a traditional and widely used protein supplement in dairy cattle rations across South Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Fed at 2-4 kg per day per animal alongside green fodder, silage, and concentrates

• Beef cattle and buffalo feed: Used as a protein and energy supplement in beef fattening and buffalo feeding programs

• Sheep and goat feed: Cottonseed cake is included in small ruminant rations at 10-20% of the concentrate mix

• Aquaculture feed: Used as a protein ingredient in fish feed formulations (catfish, tilapia, carp) at controlled inclusion rates

• Organic fertilizer: Cottonseed cake is used as a slow-release organic nitrogen fertilizer for horticulture, fruit orchards, and organic farming

Mustard Cake:

• Dairy cattle and buffalo feed: Mustard cake is a premium protein supplement for dairy cattle and buffalo, widely used across South Asia. Its high protein content (30-38%) and pungent flavour are believed to stimulate appetite and milk production

• Beef cattle feed: Used as a protein and energy supplement in beef fattening rations

• Aquaculture feed: Mustard cake is a traditional fish feed ingredient in South Asian aquaculture (carp, catfish), used as a pond input and in formulated feeds

• Organic fertilizer and soil amendment: Mustard cake is applied to soil as a slow-release organic fertilizer providing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Its glucosinolate content acts as a natural soil fumigant, suppressing nematodes, fungi, and soil-borne pathogens (biofumigation)

• Composting: Mustard cake is blended into compost as a nitrogen-rich activator

Quality Assurance

Each lot includes a Certificate of Quality reporting crude protein, crude fibre, fat/oil, moisture, ash, gossypol (cottonseed), glucosinolates (mustard), aflatoxin, and bulk density. Pre-shipment samples are provided for buyer evaluation. Material is sourced from verified oil mills with consistent extraction and storage practices.