“It is estimated that purchases will reach 300,000 tons by the end of the [fiscal] year [March 2019]. Oil extracted from this amount will meet about 9% of our domestic demand. Other oilseeds will meet an additional 7% of the demand for vegetable oils,” Alireza Mohajer was also quoted as saying by Young Journalists Club on Monday.
Of all the vegetable oils consumed in Iran, 95% are extracted from soybean, sunflowers and palm. The Agriculture Ministry plans to achieve 70% self-sufficiency in oilseed production within the next 10 years to curb the import of oilseeds and vegetable oil.
Per capita vegetable oil consumption in Iran is about 18-19 kilograms a year while the global average is 12 kilograms, Financial Tribune reported.