Zimbabwe's Pure Oil Industries Proposes Restricting Vegetable Oil Imports and Cheaper Wheat

Zimbabwe's Pure Oil Industries is calling for restrictions on imported vegetable oils to support domestic production and cheaper wheat imports to increase utilisation of local processing capacity.

The company, which operates an integrated oilseed crushing and refining facility in Harare, produces edible oils from soybeans, cottonseed, palm oil, sunflower seed, and rapeseed under the ZimGold brand. Its edible oil production capacity exceeds 6.4 thousand tons per month.

Pure Oil Industries has invested $8.5 million in a new wheat milling plant, bringing its total investment to around $40 million. The company is proposing different approaches for finished products and raw materials: restricting vegetable oil imports while making wheat imports cheaper.

The government has not yet announced whether it will adopt the proposed measures. Industry and Commerce Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu said new investment in agro-processing should improve the competitiveness of domestic industry and create opportunities for local producers to expand into regional export markets.