The All India Cottonseed Crushers' Association (AICOSCA) is exploring the possibility of promoting the use of cottonseed meal as an ingredient of aqua feed.
Speaking at the association's annual general meeting, Dr S C Mukherjee, director of Central Institute of Fisheries (CIF), spoke on research conducted by CIF on use of cottonseed cake instead of groundnut cake in high protein aqua feed.
Cottonseed cake and meal were being studied by marine and fisheries institutes for use in aqua feed. Along with high protein content, it would benefit farmers who also do fish farming. Benefits from use of cottonseed meal were substantial, said Mukherjee.
Sandeep Bajoria, president of AICOSCA, said the body could take up programmes jointly with CIF to ascertain the suitability of cottonseed.
Dr D N Bhowmick, professor at the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), said research to reduce percentile content of gossypol in cotton seed to make it more suitable for aqua feed was on.
