Top Safflower Seed oil Producing Countries

Safflower seed oil, extracted from the seeds of the *Carthamus tinctorius* plant, is produced predominantly in India, which is the world’s largest safflower seed producer, followed by countries such as Mexico, the United States, Kazakhstan, and China. The cultivation of safflower dates back over 4,000 years, with its origins traced to ancient Egypt, where it was primarily valued for its dye rather than its oil. The use of safflower as an oilseed crop spread gradually through the Middle East and Asia, gaining importance in India by the 19th century as an edible oil source. In the 20th century, especially after World War II, the United States began large-scale commercial cultivation of safflower for oil extraction, focusing on its health benefits due to its high content of unsaturated fatty acids. Today, global production is concentrated in arid and semi-arid regions where safflower thrives, with modern breeding and agronomic practices further increasing yields and oil quality.

Data from United Nations FAO Stat