Tanzania’s edible oil dilemma: How imports 'export' local jobs

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.