Oilmeals are a rich source of proteins and are used as cattle feed all over the world including India. Oilmeals are obtained after the extraction of oil from oilseeds whether by expelling or solvent extraction. Oilmeals from India are exported across the world in view of the heavy demand from many developed and developing countries where animal meat consumption is high. The animal gains weight by eating more proteins through the oilmeals, which results in higher yield of meat per animal. There is no import of oil meals in India.

Rice bran extraction though grouped in the starchy low energy feed materials, has a 14% - 16% protein content of excellent quality. Rice bran extraction has a very low fat content (0.5% - 1%) and therefore free from rancidity problems. Though cheap, it is rich in the valuable amino acids-methionine, cystine, & lysine and phosphorous -a vital expensive mineral. Further because of its low fiber and adequate metabolisable energy, the deoiled rice bran is in great demand for use in poultry as well as in cattle feed. More than 2.5 million tonnes of the rice bran extraction is used as feedstuff in India and about 0.3 million tonnes is exported year for the same purpose.

India occupies the leading position the production of Rapeseed. Rapeseed meal has min.38% O & A and max. 12% fiber. It has a very low fat content (0.5%) and is very rich in proteins (37%). The erucic acid content of the meal is very low (0.25%. It has extremely good amino acid composition that contributes to its high nutritive value. The amino acid profile showing adequate lysine and methionine is very much favourable to the non-ruminant poultry feed. Rapeseed meal is being used in India as an ingredient for cattle and poultry feed. It is also exported to various Far East and Mediterranean countries and is well accepted by feed millers.

Sunflower seed extraction is widely used as protein material for animal feed. Indian sunflower seed extraction contains about 30% crude protein with 30% fiber. Although sunflower protein is low in lysine; methionine & cystine levels are favourable to meet poultry feed requirements. It is superior to most vegetable proteins in digestibility. Sunflower seed extraction is therefore supplemented with lysine, or fed with other high lysine protein meals, like soybean meal. Recent development of various enzyme preparations, which can act upon fiber in sunflower meal making it more digestible, can result in an economical substitute for protein sources. Thus it can be used at higher levels in the poultry feed.

Decorticated cottonseed meal one of the best protein supplement for dairy cows, buffaloes and sheep. It has been highly recommended for incorporation in the formulated feed so as to function as a bypass- protein to raise the milk yield.

Coconut meal is fed mostly to dairy cattle. Though it is comparatively a moderate protein (20% - 22%) source, it is highly palatable and its protein has a very high by-pass value. The copra meal produces firm butter of exceptional quality if it is used in cattle feed preparations.

Undecorticated safflower seed extraction with 20% crude protein is rich in methionine and is useful as an ingredient in formulated poultry feed. It is also used in cattle feed along with other meals such as cottonseed meal.

Sesame seed extraction is high protein feed meal. The protein has a high content of methionine & cystine and it is also rich in arginine and tryptophan but is deficient in lysine and to some extent in isoleucine. The PER value of the sesame extraction can be doubled by mixing it with an equal weight of soybean meal, which has high lysine content. This can also be achieved by supplementation with synthetic amino acids like lysine (0.2%) and isoleucine (0.1%). It is being used as a valuable ingredient up to 5% in well formulated poultry feed.

The extraction from mango kernel is available as low cost cattle feed and poultry feed material. Having over 70% starch content and free from any anti - nutritional factors, the meal is a valuable source of metabolisable energy well suited for cattle feed. It, however has the disadvantage of having high amount of tannin.

Sal seed extraction can be beneficially used to decrease the ruminal degradation of other proteins in the compound feed in order to increase their biological values for ruminants and is preferred for use in cow feed. It has the problem of tannins and Allys-isothiocyanides.

Oilcakes/oil meals find use as food/feedstuffs and as organic nitrogenous fertilizers. Apart from their contribution to N.P.K., they have a number of benefits in agriculture, which none of the synthetic fertilizers or pesticides can offer. They bring in the wonderful molecules nature has designed to help the plants flourish naturally. They provide slow and steady nourishment, stimulation, protection from soil nematodes and insects, improve yields, and quality of product like taste, flavour, amino acid composition etc.

The oil cakes are slow in mineralising and hence compliment quicker acting inorganic fertilisers whenever they are applied together. Gaseous N losses from oil cakes applied to the plough layer are much smaller than losses from NO3 fertilisers. Some of these oil cakes retard nitrification of the soil/urea and thereby increase N uptake by the plants. P uptake from calcium phytate ex oilcakes is higher than that from the superphosphate in maize plants.

Oil cakes containing 2-7% protein N applied at rates 4-10% suppress soil nematodes thereby controlling fungal diseases of plants Neem, peanut castor, mustard, linseed, mahua and coconut oilcakes suppress parasitic nematodes (particularly Meloidogyne javanica) and those associated with wheat, mung, potato and betel leaf. They also improve plant health and thereby offer greater resistance to infection.