Editing Ricinus (section)

=== Modern commercial usage ===
{{Main|Castor oil}}

Global castor seed production is around two million tons per year. Leading producing areas are India (with over three-quarters of the global yield), China and Mozambique, and it is widely grown as a crop in Ethiopia. There are several active breeding programmes.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
|+Top ten castor oil seed producers – 2019
|-
! Country
! Production ([[tonne]]s)
! Footnote
|-
| India || align="right" |1,196,680 || align="right" |
|-
| Mozambique || align="right" |85,089 || align="right" | F
|-
| China || align="right" |36,000 || align="right" | *
|-
| Brazil || align="right" |16,349 || align="right" |
|-
| Ethiopia || align="right" |11,157 || align="right" | *
|-
| Vietnam || align="right" |7,000 || align="right" | *
|-
| South Africa || align="right" |6,721 || align="right" | F
|-
| Paraguay || align="right" |6,000 || align="right" | *
|-
| Thailand || align="right" |1,588 || align="right" | *
|-
| Pakistan || align="right" |1,107 || align="right" | *
|-
| bgcolor="#cccccc" |{{noflag}}'''World'''
| bgcolor="#cccccc" align="right" | '''1,407,588 '''
| bgcolor="#cccccc" align="right" | '''A'''
|-
| colspan="5" |No symbol = official figure, F = FAO estimate,<br>* = Unofficial/Semi-official/mirror data,<br>A = Aggregate (may include official, semi-official or estimates)
|}

Other modern uses of natural, blended, or chemically altered castor products include:
* As a non-freezing, [[antimicrobial]], pressure-resistant lubricant for special purposes, either of latex or metals, or as a lubricating component of fuels.<ref name="MortierOrszulik2012">{{cite book |author1=R. M. Mortier |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uKKNBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA226 |title=Chemistry and Technology of Lubricants |author2=S. T. Orszulik |date=6 December 2012 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-1-4615-3272-9 |pages=226–}}</ref>
* As sources of various chemical [[feedstock]]s.<ref>[http://www.castoroilworld.com/castor-crop-information/ Castor Oil World]</ref>
* As a raw material for some varieties of [[biodiesel]].
* As attractively patterned, low-cost personal adornments, such as non-durable necklaces and bracelets. Holes must not be drilled in the beans to make beads. The outer shell protects the wearer from the poison. Wearing castors beans has been known to cause rashes, and worse.
* As a component of many cosmetics.
* As an anti-microbial. The high percentage of [[ricinoleic acid]] residues in castor oil and its derivatives, inhibits many microbes, whether viral, bacterial or fungal. They accordingly are useful components of many ointments and similar preparations.
* As the major raw material (in oil form) for [[polyglycerol polyricinoleate]], a modifier that improves the flow characteristics of [[cocoa butter]] in the manufacture of [[chocolate bar]]s, and thereby reduces the costs.
* As a repellent for [[mole (animal)|mole]]s and [[vole]]s in lawns.