Key Takeaways
- Casterra Ag Ltd., a subsidiary of Evogene Ltd., completed successful commercial field trials across 74 hectares in Brazil’s State of Bahia, demonstrating economically viable large-scale mechanized castor farming.
- The trials utilized Casterra’s proprietary seed varieties designed for mechanization and low-input cultivation, with 64 hectares grown under rainfed conditions and 10 hectares using center pivot irrigation.
- Total rainfall during the growing cycle amounted to 382 mm, while comprehensive data collection covered all field operations including nutrient and crop protection applications for full farming cost assessment.
- Casterra plans to establish a local Brazilian subsidiary and form strategic partnerships with leading castor oil producers while expanding trials across multiple Brazilian states in 2026.
- The company aims to position castor oil as a competitive feedstock for biofuel production and other bio-based industries including lubricants, surface coatings, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.
Casterra Demonstrates Economic Viability in Brazilian Trials
Casterra Ag Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Evogene Ltd. (NASDAQ: EVGN), announced the completion of successful commercial field trials in Brazil that highlight castor oil’s potential as an economically viable biofuel feedstock. The trials were conducted across 74 hectares of commercial farmland in the State of Bahia, with the majority of the area grown under rainfed conditions.
The field trials confirmed that large-scale, mechanized castor farming is economically viable using Casterra’s advanced seed varieties across diverse growing conditions. These proprietary seeds were specifically designed for mechanization and low-input cultivation to support profitable farming operations.
Trial Results and Data Collection
During the growing cycle, the test areas received 382 mm of total rainfall. The trials evaluated various plant populations and nutrient application rates, with comprehensive data collected on all field operations. This included detailed tracking of nutrient and crop protection applications, enabling a complete assessment of direct farming costs.
“I am very satisfied with these results, which reaffirm Casterra’s concept for developing economic castor farming. These results are a milestone in positioning castor as a sustainable and scalable feedstock for the growing biofuel and bio-based industries,” said Yoash Zohar, CTO of Casterra.
Casterra’s 2026 Expansion Plans
Building on these results, Casterra’s 2026 operations in Brazil will focus on two primary objectives. First, the company plans to drive commercial penetration through establishing a local subsidiary and forming strategic partnerships with leading castor oil producers. Second, Casterra will expand castor farming trials across varied agricultural and climatic zones in several Brazilian states.
Market Applications and Company Background
Currently, castor oil serves as a premium sustainable industrial feedstock for bio-based products including lubricants, surface coatings, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, plastics, and resins. Casterra leverages advanced genomic capabilities licensed from parent company Evogene, combined with its global breeding network, to deliver high-yield castor seeds for bio-based industries including biofuel applications.
