Savonor, Burundi’s largest cooking oil facility announced at the end of March that it would begin fortification before the legislative decree is signed. PHC is thrilled by Savonor’s decision, which we believe will pave the way for other industries to follow throughout Burundi.
Although Burundi relies heavily on imports, a few large staple food producers exist, including Savonor, a facility that makes up 60% of the market share of cooking oil in the country. Savonor will begin fortifying all 400MT of their daily production, thanks to a generous initial grant of vitamin A premix from DSM.
Although there are many steps ahead for the Burundi fortification program, PHC is encouraged by the strong leadership demonstrated by both government partners and industry to date. Indeed, this proactive fortification program has the potential to serve as an example program to the region.