To compare castor oil quotes, first put them on the same basis: the same grade and spec, pack, quantity, Incoterm, port, payment terms and validity. Only then is the price difference meaningful.
Castor oil prices follow castor seed closely, and crushers' margins are thin. If one quote is far below the others on the same day, ask why before you accept it.
Make the grade and spec identical
Castor oil is sold in several grades, from commercial and first special grade to lighter, refined and pharma grades. Two quotes for castor oil may be for different products. Send every crusher the same written spec and ask them to confirm each line.
- Grade name, with a written spec rather than just a label. See what first special grade castor oil is.
- Acid value, moisture, colour, iodine value, hydroxyl value and insoluble impurities, as typical values or limits.
- Test methods and who tests: the crusher's lab, an independent surveyor or both.
- Whether results are taken at loading or at arrival, which matters for any claim.
Line up the commercial terms
- Pack: drums, IBCs, flexitanks or ISO tanks. Drum quotes include packing costs that bulk quotes do not.
- Quantity and tolerance: for example plus or minus a small percentage, at whose option.
- Incoterm and place: FOB Kandla, FOB Mundra and CIF your port are different prices. See what FOB Mundra or CIF Rotterdam includes.
- Shipment period: prompt shipment and shipment in three months carry different risk for the crusher.
- Payment terms: a large advance, documents against payment or an LC each change the real cost.
- Validity: castor quotes are often valid for a short time, sometimes only a day.
- Price basis: fixed, or linked to the castor seed market on an agreed date.
Look behind the price
A crusher's price reflects what it paid for seed, the oil content of that seed, its processing cost and what it earns from castor meal. A quote well below the market can mean old stock, a lower grade, a trader without a plant, or a plan to renegotiate later. Ask each supplier the same questions.
- Is this your own crushing, or are you buying oil from another plant?
- Which batch or production period will the oil come from?
- Can we see a sample from that batch and test it independently?
- What was your last loading of this grade and pack, and what was the net weight?
Score the whole offer
Put the quotes in a simple table with the landed cost per tonne at your site, then add notes on audit results, sample results, shipment history and payment risk. The cheapest landed cost is not always the best value if the spec is weaker or the supplier is unproven. Our general guide to comparing quotes from Indian exporters gives a fuller checklist.
How we help
We send your spec to audited castor crushers, collect quotes on one basis and lay them side by side for you. We test the offered batch at an NABL-accredited lab, negotiate terms and supervise loading. Start with a free sourcing review.