• Tanzania plans to boost local palm oil production to cut down on imports that meet over half of its edible oil needs.

• The country seeks technical and training support from Indonesia, the world’s top palm oil producer.

•  A partnership agreement includes short- and long-term training for Tanzanian experts and farmers.

Tanzania, which depends heavily on imported edible oil, is turning to Indonesia to learn how to grow and manage large-scale industrial palm oil plantations. The country currently imports more than half of what it consumes, as local supply falls short of growing demand.

To address this, Tanzania’s ambassador to Indonesia, Macocha Tembele, met with the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (GAPKI) on May 26 in Jakarta. The two sides discussed a new partnership aimed at helping Tanzania improve its palm oil sector through technical and institutional support.

According to a statement on the Tanzanian embassy’s website, GAPKI has agreed to help transfer skills and knowledge to Tanzanian farmers and researchers. This includes technical assistance, as well as training programs, both short- and long-term. As part of the deal, five experts from the Tanzanian Institute of Agricultural Research (TARI) will receive master’s-level training in Indonesia. The collaboration follows a memorandum of understanding signed between TARI and GAPKI in November 2024.

Indonesia is a key partner in this effort. As the world's largest producer and exporter of palm oil, it brings strong experience to the table. Tanzania, on the other hand, had only 13,736 hectares of palm oil plantations in 2020, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. For comparison, Nigeria, Africa’s largest producer, operates nearly 3.4 million hectares but still relies on imports to meet demand.

For Tanzania’s government, boosting local palm oil production is a priority. The goal is to reduce reliance on foreign imports and secure a stable, home-grown supply of edible oil for the domestic market.