KARACHI: Federal Minister for Industries and Production, Rana Tanveer Hussain, said that the government is committed to maximizing indigenous production of edible oil, which currently stands at 19 percent.

He was speaking at the inaugural session of the Pakistan Edible Oil Conference (PEOC), organized by edible oil associations at a local hotel on Saturday.

“Edible oil imports are the second largest after petroleum products,” Rana Tanveer noted, adding that the country imports 3 million tons of oil annually.

He emphasized that the government is making all possible efforts to enhance local production and is incentivizing local farmers to achieve this goal. The minister also sought assistance from Malaysia’s business community to advance Pakistan’s agriculture sector.

In his keynote address, Malaysian Minister of Plantation and Commodities, YB Datuk Johari bin Abdul Ghani, highlighted the strengthening bilateral ties between Pakistan and Malaysia, which have grown significantly following the state visit of the Malaysian Prime Minister last year.

He pointed out that Malaysia’s palm oil exports are valued at $20 billion, supporting the livelihoods of 1 million people. He added that Malaysia’s total palm oil production stands at 90.3 million metric tons, making it the second-largest producer of edible oil after Indonesia.

“The world needs palm oil; there is no alternative to this product,” the Malaysian minister asserted, noting that Pakistan imported 798,000 tons of palm oil from Malaysia.

Chief Executive Officer of PEOC, Rasheed Jan Mohammad, said that Pakistan represents a 3 million ton market for palm oil.

While sharing statistics, he mentioned that the government is also focusing on boosting indigenous production of oilseeds.

“We need to prioritize the cultivation of oilseeds over water-intensive crops,” Rasheed emphasized, suggesting that the production of sunflower and canola seeds should be encouraged locally.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025