Pakistan’s edible oil imports are estimated to jump to 3.4-3.5 million metric tonnes this year as domestic demand rises, Abdul Rasheed Jan Mohammad, chief executive of the Westbury Group, a major player in Pakistan’s edible oil sector, said on Friday.

Over the January-October period, Pakistan’s edible oil imports stood at 3.07m tonnes, surpassing the 3m tonnes imported in 2024.

“This is a huge increase going on … and this is primarily because of the surge in the population growth and also certain economic development,” Jan Mohammed told an industry conference on Indonesia’s resort island of Bali.

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The country imported around 2.9m tonnes to 3m tonnes per year from 2022 to 2024. Over the January-October period, it imported 2.2m tonnes of oilseeds.

During a recent consultative meeting on edible oil regularisation, it was highlighted that approximately 30 per cent of edible oil consumed in Pakistan annually — more than 4.5m tonnes — comprises unbranded, loose oil, primarily found in semi-urban and rural areas.

Experts said that the loose oil, typically sold in bulk without proper packaging or labelling, often contains harmful chemicals, impurities, and biological contaminants. These pose serious health threats, including cardiovascular diseases, strokes, and brain disorders, they warned.