In order to boost and revitalize local peanut oil production, Myanmar peanut producers are slated to receive technical and mechanical support from Taiwanese agriculturalists to supply 50% of domestic consumption by 2020

Myanmar peanut oil producers are slated to receive technical and mechanical support from Taiwanese agriculturists to supply 50 percent of domestic con­sumption by 2020, U Khin Soe, Chairman of Myan­mar Oil Millers Association (MOMA), told Myanmar Business Today.

Myanmar imports near­ly 90 percent its edible oil. In order to minimize the market’s reliance on imports, MOMA is seek­ing Taiwanese support to ramp local production up to 50 percent, U Khin Soe, said.

“Myanmar consumes a million tons of edible oil annually with local pro­ducers only supplying 10 percent of the demand. We aim to balance that ratio by increasing the volume and efficiency of oilseeds and peanuts cul­tivation. If we can culti­vate 3 million acres yield­ing 3.2 tons of peanuts per acre a year, we will be in range of self-sustaina­bility,” U Khin Soe said.

Current productivity sits at a dismal 1.3 tons of pea­nuts per acre. Taiwanese peanut farmers, who on average produce 4.9 tons per acre, are being con­sulted by MOMA for their expertise and mechanical equipment.

In the last 20 years, as neighboring countries de­veloped their agricultural capabilities, domestic producers began shutting their doors because im­ports were cheaper and an affordable counterfeit peanut oil, palm oil mixed with peanut fragrances, became widely available .

Peanut oil costs K5,000 per viss, a unit equivalent to 3.6 pound or 1.6 kilo­grams, while mixed oil with chemical fragrance costs K2,000 per viss.

“We are working peo­ple. We don’t have the resources or finances to consider the authenticity of peanut oil or the health impacts, we don’t care. We’ll settle for what’s cheaper,” Ma Khin Mar, a Hlaing Thayar township resident, told Myanmar Business Today.

The majority of Myan­mar’s imported palm oil and vegetable oil comes from Malaysia and Indo­nesia with most peanut oil crossing the border from Thailand. Peanut oil is the preffered edible oil of Myanmar.

(Myanmar Business Today: https://www.mmbiztoday.com/articles/oil-millers-assc-revitalize-local-peanut-oil-production )

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