Why did Sunseed open a ‘fridge-free’ margarine production facility in Malawi?
In collaboration with the UK Aid/UN Development Programme-funded Malawi Innovation Challenge Fund,28 Sunseed opened a ‘fridge-free’ margarine production facility in 2017. This was in response to the lack of refrigeration in many Malawian households.29 Previously Malawi had imported all of its margarine.
What is the sunflower trade balance in Malawi?
The sunflower trade balance is -$2,894,000 in Malawi, with other edible oils also showing negative balances,13 reflecting a net overall deficit of edible oil production domestically. Foreign exchange is limited in the country, which has driven processors to seek sunflower from local producers.
What happened to sunflower production in Malawi?
Sunflower production in Malawi peaked in the 1990s, but the industry collapsed after the only significant buyer left the market and prices plummeted.10 This history still informs a lingering pessimistic attitude around sunflower production to this day. community crushers, who sell the unrefined oil to local communities.
Does Malawi smuggle palm oil?
In 2017 the government of Malawi removed value added tax (VAT) on edible oil, which should reduce the cost of local processing and disincentivise corrupt practices of oil mislabelling.24 However, addressing smuggled palm oil remains a challenge.