Sheikh Umer Rehan, Chairman of the Pakistan Vanaspati Manufacturers Association (PVMA), has warned that ongoing protests and blockades on national highways connecting Sindh to other provinces have severely disrupted the transportation of edible oil, cooking oil, and ghee across the country.
As a result, thousands of containers are stranded on various routes, causing losses worth billions of rupees to the industry. In a statement, he expressed serious concern over the growing challenges manufacturers face. He noted that export consignments often fail to reach ports on time, risking the cancellation of foreign orders and creating further financial strain for industrialists.
He emphasised that the disruption of transportation is not only affecting the supply of essential food items but has already led to shortages of edible oil and ghee in several areas, increasing difficulties for the public. Industries that heavily rely on imported raw materials, particularly those involved in edible oil production, are experiencing significant operational slowdowns. He warned that if immediate action is not taken to reopen the roads, the shortage could worsen significantly in the coming days. He strongly urged both the Federal and Provincial governments to take urgent steps to clear the highways and national routes of protestors to ensure the uninterrupted supply of food items nationwide and to restore the logistics network, including exports.
He cautioned that failing to resolve the situation promptly would not only exacerbate shortages of essential items, such as edible oil, cooking oil, and ghee but would also trigger inflation and bring industrial activity to a halt. Highlighting the broader implications, Sheikh Umer Rehan pointed out that the edible oil sector fulfils a significant portion of the country’s food needs and that continued disruptions could harm the national economy. He appealed to the authorities to take immediate and practical measures to protect the industry from further losses, noting that the ongoing road blockages are also damaging Pakistan’s reputation in the international market.
