Per capita oil, fat consumption increases to 18.7 kg in Bangladesh

The country’s oil and fat consumption has increased to 18.7 kilogrammes (kg) which was 13.8 kg five years back.

The disclosure was made on Wednesday at a national level virtual workshop, organised by the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), to introduce its five-year ‘oilseed production enhancement project’ worth Tk 2.78 billion.      

National oil and fat consumption was 2.22 million tonnes in 2015 which increased to 3.08 million tonnes in 2019.

Agriculture Minister Dr Muhammad Abdur Razzaque spoke as the chief guest while DAE Director General Md Asadullah chaired.

Md Jasim Uddin, director of the project, presented a paper which said the country imported above 4.7 million tonnes of ‘oil crops’ worth Tk 248 billion in FY’19 to meet the domestic demand.

Of the consumed cook-oil, 90 per cent was imported, it said.

The paper said per capita oil and fat consumption increased to 18.7 kg in 2019 which was 13.8 kg in 2015.

It said the project has targeted to raise cultivation area of oil crops including mustard, sesame, sunflower, groundnut and soybean by 20 per cent through inclusion of modern varieties of short-term oil crops developed by local research organisations.

The modern technology of oil crops, developed by Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) and Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA), will be adopted including of bee-farming.

The yield per hectare of oilseeds might be increased by 15-20 per cent by adopting modern farm methods, the paper said. 

Followed by the increasing trend of oil and fat consumption as well as rocketing import costs for the essential, the government has taken the project, the agriculture minister said.

Despite a rise in oilseed production almost by 100 per cent in a decade to 1.15 million tonnes, the country still mostly imports dependent on eating oil.

To minimise import cost, the project aims to raise oilseed production in 250 upazilas, said the minister while speaking at a virtual conference on the project.

Dr Razzaque said the key barrier for oilseed production in the country is the scarcity of land. 

“Our scientists have already developed many high-yielding and short duration improved varieties of rice and edible oil crops.

The minister said: “If the cultivation of these crop varieties could be spread and be popularised among the farmers, it is possible to increase output through inclusion of mustard as an additional crop without reducing the growth of existing paddy production.”

“The agriculture ministry is working on it by initiating the integrated project,” he said.

MoA Senior Secretary Md Mesbahul Islam said it is very possible to raise oilseed production by one tonne per hectare by cultivating improved varieties of paddy including BRRI dhan 71, BRRI dhan 81, BRRI dhan 89 and BRRI dhan 92.

We could have a 10 per cent of surplus land if we adopt those rice varieties where other crops like mustard could be cultivated instead of paddy,” he said in explanation. 

“Besides, it is also possible to increase the cropping intensity by cultivating improved varieties of paddy and mustard,” he said.

MoA Additional Secretary (planning) Dr Md Abdur Rauf and Additional Secretary (extension) Md Hasanuzzaman Kallol, among others, also spoke.

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