South Africa produces considerable quantities of oils and fats with total production averaging 480 000 t yr-1. Sunflower oil is the major oil with production at around 330 000 t annually. This is insufficient for the domestic consumption which in 2002 was around a million tonnes putting the per capita consumption at 23 kg yr-1. Quite large quantities of oils/fats have, therefore, to be imported. Only about 60 000 t oils/fats are exported from South Africa annually, about half of which comprises sunflower oil.