Kenya: Cooking oil and soap shortage looms in the palm export ban of Indonesia

Manufacturers of cooking oil, soaps and cosmetics are staring at raw material supply shortages after Indonesia threatened a ban on palm oil exports, raising fears of future rationing of the products whose prices have gone through the roof. Cooking oil prices have already increased by more than 30 percent since late last year, with popular brands such as Elianto disappearing from supermarket shelves. The shock move by the world’s biggest palm oil producer to ban exports from Thursday this week, manufacturers warned, would cause difficulties accessing the important ingredient. Pwani Oil, the makers of edible vegetable oil products such as Fresh Fri and Salit cooking oil, said Indonesia’s ban will not only pressure prices further up but hurt availability. Production in Malaysia, the second-largest producer, has been hurt by labour shortages, further straining supply if Indonesia enforces the export ban announced last Friday. Reuters, however, reported Monday afternoon that the ban ...