BLESSING IN DISGUISE

THERE is no doubt that soya bean farmers feel helpless and betrayed as the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) will not buy their crop as has been the practice.

But this feeling of helplessness could be changed for the better by increasing the production of edible oils which have always been in short supply.

Zambia is faced with an increasing edible oil deficit which is serviced by imports of edible oils that are worth more than $200 million per annum.

Edible oils are sourced mainly from vegetable products and in Zambia, the major oilseed used in the production of edible oils is soybeans which accounts for 60 percent of local production, cotton seed oil extraction accounts for 19 percent while sunflower oil accounts for 15 percent.

The remaining six percent is sourced from minor oilseeds such as ground nuts.

The abundance of soya beans that has been harvested this year presents an opportunity for the private sector and Government to take advantage and satisfy the deficit that the country has had for years.

Instead of the government struggling to try and find the market for the soya beans, it would be better for them to find ways in which they could produce more oil by crushing the soya beans that the farmers grew in abundance.

Despite the large market and demand for edible oils, the potential for growth of the local supply of oilseeds is limited by little technical support and policy challenges.

Several factors are identified as constraints to the upscaling of the production of oil seeds such as sunflower and soybeans used in the production of edible oils.

While the country demands a total consumption of edible oils estimated at 120, 493 tons per year, the Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute estimates that the total domestic production of edible oils stood at 40,

096 tons for the year annum recording a deficit of 80, 397 tons. Thus, the deficit is met by imported edible oil.

There is a massive domestic market for edible oils. The importance of edible oils to the economy cannot be over-emphasised. Every meal prepared in most households utilises edible oils.

Whilst manufacturers source their oil seed raw, materials such as soya beans and sunflower from local farmers, it was observed in the past that farmed oilseeds were not enough to meet the demand of local processors.

Low production of raw materials utilised in the production of edible oils was leading to the domination of crude oil imports in Zambia’s trade bill - imports of refined edible oil were on the rise.

It comes as a surprise therefore as to why now that there were a lot of raw materials for production of edible oils the government is struggling on how it can take take advantage of the soya beans that has been grown in excess.

Now is the time Government must provide incentives to the private sector to invest more in the production of edible oils instead of leaving farmers in limbo.

It must help farmers realise that even if the FRA cannot buy their soya beans, the private sector is there to buy their crop and add value.