Govt sees capacity in Zambia’s edible oil production

Government says Zambia has the capacity to be self-sufficient in edible oil production due to the availability of raw materials.

Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Robert Sichinga says the country should not be importing the commodity because it has the capacity to produce its own.

Mr. Sichinga notes that the country has raw materials like sunflower, groundnuts and soya beans, adding that all that is required is good strategies for the country to produce its own and stop importing from other countries.

He states that Zambia consumes around 90,000 tonnes of cooking oil per year, but that only produces around 25,000 from soya beans, with the shortfall having to be imported.

Mr Sichinga says this should not be the case considering the natural resources the country is endowed with.

He stresses if the country is able to produce its own oil, the prices of cooking oil and other related products will reduce.

Mr Sichinga has further urged more locals to get into cooking oil production because of the country’s abundant raw materials and ready market.