The Palm Oil Market in Pakistan
Pakistan produces oils and fats locally but it is not enough to cater for its growing domestic market. About 500 000-800 000 t of cottonseed, rapeseed and sunflower are produced yearly. Therefore, imported oils and fats play an important role in meeting Pakistan’s requirements. Pakistan imports more than two million tonnes of oils and fats annually, of which, palm oil is the main import. Palm oil imports constituted more than 95% of the edible oils imported into Pakistan from 2010 to 2013, as shown in Table 1. As such, it is forecasted that palm oil will continue to dominate Pakistan’s oils and fats imports in the future mainly due to its cost advantages.