Tanzania's Domestic Edible Oil Production Is in Short Supply

Tanzania is the second largest producer of sunflower seeds in Africa. Common edible oils in Tanzania include peanut oil, palm oil, sunflower seed oil, soybean oil and sesame oil.

The annual demand for edible oil is 500,000 tons, while the country's supply is only 180,000 tons, forcing it to import 320,000 tons of edible oil per year. Currently facing a huge deficit in edible oil production, it relies heavily on imports to meet its growing demand for edible oil, which reached $294 million last year. Its annual demand is expected to increase to 700,000 tons in the next 11 years. The government is seeking investors in the edible oil industry to help close the supply gap and ease the huge import burden.

The Tanzanian government is in talks with potential investors and is encouraging them to set up edible oil processing plants in the country.

In addition, the government is working with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and will develop a development strategy aimed at boosting oilseed production to close the deficit gap caused by the country's edible oils.