Zimbabwe proposes curbing vegetable oil imports while making wheat imports cheaper

One of Zimbabwe’s major edible oil producers, Pure Oil Industries, has proposed restricting imports of finished vegetable oils to redirect domestic demand toward locally produced products. At the same time, the company has called for the removal of the wheat import levy to reduce raw material costs for the domestic milling industry.

Pure Oil Industries operates an integrated oilseed processing and refining complex in Harare. The company produces oils from soybeans, cottonseed, palm, sunflower seed and rapeseed, with production capacity exceeding 6.4 thsd tons of edible oils per month. It also produces soybean and cottonseed meal for the feed industry.

At the same time, the processor is expanding its presence in the grain sector. Pure Oil Industries has invested $8.5 mln in a new flour mill, while its total investment has reached around $40 mln. Against this backdrop, the company is calling for the wheat import levy to be removed to provide local mills with cheaper raw materials.

The company is therefore proposing different approaches to finished products and raw materials: restricting vegetable oil imports to support domestic processing while making wheat imports cheaper. Such a policy could potentially reduce Zimbabwe’s demand for imported finished vegetable oils while supporting demand for imported wheat.

The Zimbabwean government has not yet announced the introduction of the proposed measures. However, Industry and Commerce Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu said new investment in agricultural processing should improve the competitiveness of local industry and create additional opportunities for producers to enter regional export markets.

Tags: wheat, imports, Zimbabwe, restrictions