Namibia is trying to lower down on the rising import invoice of vegetable oils, particularly for essentially the most commonly-consumed oils resembling sunflower oil, palm oil, soybean oil, olive oil and canola oil. This might be finished by exploring home alternatives to supply these oils regionally in varied elements of the nation.
At current, the nation doesn’t produce its vegetable oils, and subsequently stays one of many largest internet importers of vegetable oils in southern Africa. To fulfill its home demand, the nation imported vegetable oils price over N$800 million between 2022 and final yr.
The Namibian Agronomic Board (NAB)’s newest Market Intelligence Report exhibits that from all sorts of vegetable oils used for human consumption, Namibia largely imports sunflower oil, adopted by palm oil whereas the least-imported vegetable oil is sesame oil.
By way of consumption, sunflower oil stays essentially the most consumed oil in Namibia. The nation recorded its highest consumption report of 24 908 tonnes of sunflower cooking oil again in 2019, and the pattern has kind of remained the identical to this point.
Palm oil consumption, then again, can be slowly changing into in style in Namibia, with an over 80% improve in consumption recorded between 2017 (248 tonnes) and 2021 (1 948 tonnes). In the meantime, canola oil is the least-consumed vegetable oil, with a median consumption of 19 tonnes per yr.
To curtail the nation’s mammoth import invoice of vegetable oils, the Namibian authorities, by means of analysis and technical help from the NAB and others, is now trying to discover the nation’s potential to supply no less than 24 145 tonnes of vegetable oils yearly at varied native websites.
The biggest alternative for Namibia is in sunflower oil, which has the biggest import share of twenty-two 340 tonnes, valued at over N$809.9 million.
The sunflower crop which is used for sunflower oil manufacturing is taken into account a reasonably drought-tolerant crop which may doubtlessly be grown efficiently in Namibia, which is likely one of the driest international locations in sub-Saharan Africa.
Moreover, sunflower oil is essentially the most consumed oil in Namibia, and it’s imported in giant portions for native consumption. Therefore, it gives a buyer assure for potential sunflower crop farmers who could be in search of to discover this space.
Because the most-consumed vegetable oil in Namibia, sunflower oil imports have been on an upward pattern since 2018 from a price of N$350.5 million to over N$810 million between 2022 and 2023, marking a median improve of 19% per yr. About 99.9% of this sunflower oil was imported from South Africa.
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Namibia additionally has the potential and alternative to supply olive oil, as olive timber have confirmed to be fairly appropriate for cultivation within the Erongo area (alongside the Swakop River), the place many of the nation’s largest olive oil plantations are at present located.
About 960 tonnes of palm oil valued at N$29.9 million at present being imported by Namibia is one other alternative which could be explored by potential native producers, as that is at present not being produced in Namibia.
Palm timber are in the identical household as date timber, and Namibia is at present concerned within the business manufacturing of dates within the southern elements of the nation, which might show some suitability for palm tree prduction in the identical space as effectively.
The NAB has through the years been calling on potential native producers to analysis extra on their manufacturing practices and necessities as a way to benefit from the present import gaps to supply for native demand.
Other than the manufacturing potential by way of worth and tonnages out there for consumption in Namibia, potential native farmers likewise have a possibility to faucet into export markets which can be out there in different SADC international locations.
