By Azeem Ahmed Khan

Pakistan’s total edible oil availability increased to a provisional 5.074 million tonnes in 2025-26, up from 4.643 million tonnes in 2024-25 and 4.235 million tonnes in 2023-24, as both imports and local production expanded.

According to a document from the Ministry of National Food Security and Research available with Wealth Pakistan, the country’s edible oil and oilseed import bill rose to $5.866 billion in 2025-26 from $4.971 billion in 2024-25 and $4.190 billion in 2023-24.

Of the 2025-26 import bill, edible oils accounted for $4.038 billion, while oilseeds accounted for $1.828 billion, compared with $3.852 billion for oils and $1.119 billion for oilseeds in 2024-25. In 2023-24, the corresponding figures stood at $2.964 billion and $1.226 billion.

The data show that imported edible oil quantities reached 3.671 million tonnes in 2025-26, compared with 3.627 million tonnes a year earlier and 3.172 million tonnes in 2023-24.

Palm oil remained the largest component, with imports rising to 3.483 million tonnes in 2025-26 from 3.213 million tonnes in 2024-25 and 2.997 million tonnes in 2023-24.

Soybean oil imports, however, stood at 0.098 million tonnes in 2025-26, compared with 0.321 million tonnes in the preceding year and 0.120 million tonnes in 2023-24. Imports categorised as other edible oils were recorded at 0.090 million tonnes, against 0.093 million tonnes in 2024-25 and 0.055 million tonnes in 2023-24.

Oil extracted from imported oilseeds also increased markedly, reaching 0.853 million tonnes in 2025-26 against 0.542 million tonnes in 2024-25 and 0.597 million tonnes in 2023-24.

Within this category, soybean oil extraction reached 0.572 million tonnes from 3.180 million tonnes of crushed seed in 2025-26. This is compared with extraction of 0.274 million tonnes from 1.524 million tonnes of seed in 2024-25 and 0.174 million tonnes from 0.969 million tonnes in 2023-24.

Canola oil extraction stood at 0.266 million tonnes from 0.633 million tonnes of crushed seed in 2025-26, compared with 0.256 million tonnes from 0.610 million tonnes a year earlier. Sunflower and other oilseeds contributed another 0.015 million tonnes of oil from 0.035 million tonnes of crushed seed in 2025-26.

Overall imports, combining imported edible oils and oil extracted from imported oilseeds, reached 4.524 million tonnes in 2025-26. The figure stood at 4.169 million tonnes in 2024-25, when imports accounted for 90% of total availability, and 3.769 million tonnes in 2023-24, representing 89%.

Local production also increased to a provisional 0.550 million tonnes in 2025-26 from 0.474 million tonnes in 2024-25 and 0.466 million tonnes in 2023-24.

The figures, sourced in the document from the Pakistan Oilseed Department and the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, show a simultaneous rise in total availability and domestic production in 2025-26, although imports continued to account for the bulk of edible oil supplies. The 2025-26 figures are provisional.

Credit: INP-WealthPk