Canola Cultivation in Pakistan

Canola, Rapeseed and Mustard are the important crop of Brassica group grown as oilseed crops in Pakistan. These have remained one of the major sources of oil in the sub-continent for centuries. Rapeseed and mustards are rich source of oil and contains 44 – 46% good quality oil. In addition, its meal has 38 – 40% protein that has a complete profile of amino acids including lysine, methionine and cystine. After many years of breeding and selection in Canada, canola (derived from Canadian oil, low acid) was developed with lower erucic acid in the oil and low glucosinolate content in the meal to be more valuable as cooking oil and an excellent feed for animals and birds especially for poultry.

The oil extracted from indigenous varieties of rapeseed-mustard is not being used in the manufacture of vegetable ghee or as vegetable oil because of high erucic acid (40 – 70% in oil) which is harmful to human health. Canola oil is one of the healthiest and most affordable oils available for cooking and the canola meal remaining after oil extraction is an important source of high-protein meal for livestock feed. The improvement in processing and refining techniques have enabled to extend the use of rapeseed and mustard oil as cooking medium, salad ingredient, shortening and in margarine. Recent development of canola quality mustard further enhanced the use of mustard oil for edible purpose.

USES AND NUTRITIOUS VALUE

• Canola oil is rich in energy; 100 g of oil provides 884 calories. However, its high ratio of mono-unsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids makes it one of the healthy oil for consumption.
• It is one of the cooking oils with a high smoke point; 450 °F. This property can be employed in setting oil temperature while deep-frying food items. Canola oil has very good lipid profile. It has saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated (SFA: MUFA: PUFA= 8: 61: 31) fats in healthy proportions. Cold-pressed oil is one of the stable cooking oil that has a very long shelf life.
• Besides being used commercially in cooking oil, canola is one of the preferred oil that is used liberally in salad dressings, margarines, shortening, deep frying, baking, spreads, and creamers.
• Wide research studies have shown that canola oil can be used safely as edible oil. However, look carefully for the label to make sure it is free from erucic acid and glucosinolates. Erucic acid is an omega-9 fatty acid which occurs in other Brassica family of plants such as rapeseed, mustard... etc.
• Green leaves, particularly of seedling stage are used as vegetable.
• The canola crop makes a palatable green fodder for the animals, especially when it is mixed with other fodder crops to increase palatability.
• Seeds contain about 40% oil which is an important part of human diet as cooking media in vegetables, frying, flavoring, pickle making and many other preservatives.
• Oil is used as medicine for many digestive problem and swelling.
• Oil is used for softening leather in tanning industry.
• Oil is used in lightening lamps and oil-cakes are used as cattle feed.