Dodoma. Tanzania is grappling with a significant economic drain in its edible oil sector, where a massive production deficit is effectively ‘exporting’ thousands of employment opportunities to foreign markets every year.
According to 2025 estimates, the country requires approximately 732,000 tonnes of edible oil annually, yet local production remains volatile, fluctuating between 100,000 and 300,000 tonnes.
This leaves an average annual deficit of 400,000 tonnes, meaning the nation currently meets only 40 percent of its edible oil requirements through domestic production. The financial cost of this shortfall is substantial as Tanzania spends more than Sh500.6 billion ($200 million) annually on edible oil imports to meet domestic demand.
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