Export of peanuts and sesame halted in effort to boost domestic supply

By DMG 11 May 2022

DMG Newsroom
11 May 2022, Sittwe 

Exports of peanuts and sesame, excluding black sesame, have been temporarily suspended from the Myawaddy trade zone to Thailand from May 9, according to the junta-controlled Ministry of Commerce. 

The move comes after Indonesia last month suspended its palm oil exports. Myanmar in turn suspended oilseed crop exports to bolster domestic supply, said the director-general of the Department of Consumer Affairs, which is part of the Ministry of Commerce. 

“Myanmar has to import an average of 50,000 tonnes of palm oil a month as domestic oil crops are not enough for domestic consumption. We are facing a situation where Indonesia has banned the export of palm oil to Myanmar. Indonesia’s exports account for up to 94 percent of Myanmar's palm oil [imports],” U Myint Cho, the director-general, told DMG. 

Ko Hla Maung Thein, an oil trader in Arakan State, said it was a “very good” move to put a stop to exports of Myanmar’s oilseeds, such as peanuts and sesame.  

“I welcome the government’s decision to stop exporting oilseeds. Myanmar is relying on foreign countries for its domestic oil consumption,” he said. 

Peanuts from Arakan State are still being exported to mainland Myanmar, he added.  

The Ministry of Commerce has issued a directive to suspend the export of peanuts and sesame, except for black sesame, which are allowed to be exported via border trade camps.