By Belize Live News Staff: A $14 million soybean processing plant in Spanish Lookout is now producing cooking oil that could replace imported brands in Belizean kitchens.
Green Valley Oil officially opened the facility on Wednesday, launching Quality Vegetable Oil as the country’s first locally made soybean oil.
General Manager Daniel Braun said the oil is cheaper than the most popular imported option.
“We are definitely lower in prices than the imported, and when I talk about imported, I talk about 123. That’s the oil we all know about and we use a lot everywhere. And our oil, when I compare to the cheapest place I can get this 123 oil, Quality Vegetable Oil is even cheaper than that,” Braun said.
He also said the oil is natural and has not gone through hydrogenation, a process he said makes many imported oils harder to digest.
Minister of Agriculture Rodwell Ferguson praised the investment, saying it adds value to local raw products and strengthens Belize’s position in regional trade.
“When you value add, then you can go out there and bargain on the CARICOM market and the Central American market and the international markets,” Ferguson said.
The oil is available now at Quality Poultry branches across all districts, with plans to expand to other grocery stores and eventually to international buyers.
Quality Poultry is offering a 25% discount on the oil at its stores this Friday and Saturday.
