Note: This report includes forecasting data that is based on baseline historical data.
Market snapshot
In 2019, Oman had a population of 5.0 million and a gross domestic product (GDP) of US$76.3 billion. The country's GDP is expected to contract in 2020 because of low oil prices and the COVID-19 pandemic (The World Bank, 2020).
Oman is a net food importer. In 2020, Oman's agri-food and seafood trade deficit was US$1.5 billion, with imports of US$1.9 billion and exports of US$0.4 billion.
Oman's agri-food and seafood imports from Canada declined at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of −11.0% from 2016 to 2019, reaching US$12.0 million in 2020 (Jan - Nov).
In 2020, Oman's top imports from Canada were non-durum wheat (US$10.7 million), milk and cream in solid form (US$0.5 million) and frozen French fries (US$0.1 million). Canadian maple sugar and maple syrup accounted for 53.8% of Oman's total global imports of maple products, and Canadian oats accounted for 24.4% of Oman's total global imports of oats.
Total sales of packaged food and non-alcoholic beverages in Oman increased by a CAGR of 3.8% over the period from 2015 to 2019 and are expected to remain steady through to 2024 (pre-COVID-19 estimates).
Production
In 2019, Oman's largest crop was dates, with total production of 372.6 thousand tonnes. The country's date production has increased steadily since 2015 at a CAGR of 2.0%.
Green chillies and peppers, along with watermelons, saw the largest CAGR increases from 2015 to 2019, at 54.9% and 39.1%, respectively.
In terms of meat production, goat had the largest CAGR increase from 2015 to 2019 at 10.7%, while camel and cattle recorded increases of 2.4% and 2.9%, respectively.
| Top 10 crops | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | CAGR* % 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dates | 344.7 | 355.3 | 360.9 | 368.8 | 372.6 | 2.0 |
| Tomatoes | 116.4 | 89.1 | 191.6 | 199.2 | 201.3 | 14.7 |
| Vegetables, fresh, nowhere else specified | 164.9 | 171.1 | 177.2 | 183.3 | 189.3 | 3.5 |
| Cucumbers and gherkins | 38.5 | 39.2 | 63.0 | 73.3 | 74.0 | 17.8 |
| Cereals | 79.0 | 63.2 | 63.4 | 64.7 | 65.4 | −4.6 |
| Green chillies and peppers | 11.3 | 10.9 | 66.0 | 64.7 | 65.3 | 54.9 |
| Watermelons | 15.1 | 12.1 | 54.4 | 56.0 | 56.6 | 39.1 |
| Sorghum | 57.0 | 49.3 | 49.3 | 49.3 | 49.8 | −3.3 |
| Melons, other (including cantaloupes) | 12.8 | 15.9 | 34.0 | 33.5 | 33.8 | 27.5 |
| Eggplants (aubergines) | 10.0 | 10.1 | 32.1 | 32.2 | 32.5 | 34.2 |
| Cauliflower and broccoli | 14.4 | 27.1 | 29.2 | 28.0 | 28.3 | 18.4 |
|
Source: FAOSTAT, 2021 *CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate |
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| Meats | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | CAGR* % 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheep | 29.1 | 29.7 | 30.3 | 30.4 | 30.9 | 1.5 |
| Goat | 11.6 | 16.5 | 16.8 | 17.1 | 17.5 | 10.7 |
| Camel | 14.6 | 14.9 | 15.3 | 15.7 | 16.0 | 2.3 |
| Cattle | 13.9 | 14.2 | 14.4 | 14.7 | 15.0 | 2.0 |
| Chicken | 6.4 | 6.5 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.7 | 1.2 |
|
Source: FAOSTAT, 2021 *CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate |
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| Livestock | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | CAGR* % 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 7,997.0 | 8,147.0 | 8,205.0 | 8,290.0 | 8,375.0 | 1.2 |
| Sheep | 969.6 | 989.0 | 1,008.8 | 1,015.6 | 1,033.4 | 1.6 |
| Goat | 465.5 | 658.4 | 671.6 | 685.0 | 698.7 | 10.7 |
| Cattle | 106.8 | 109.0 | 111.1 | 113.4 | 115.6 | 2.0 |
| Camel | 69.7 | 71.1 | 72.8 | 74.6 | 76.5 | 2.4 |
|
Source: FAOSTAT, 2021 *CAGR: compound annual growth rate |
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Trade
Oman is a net food importer. In 2020, its agri-food and seafood trade deficit was US$1.5 billion, with imports of US$1.9 billion and exports of US$0.4 billion.
In the first 11 months of 2020, Canada imported US$1.2 million in agri-food and seafood products from Oman and exported US$12.0 million worth of goods to Oman, resulting in a trade surplus of US$10.8 million.
Oman's agri-food and seafood imports from Canada declined at a CAGR of −11.0% from 2016 to 2020 (Jan - Nov), reaching US$12.0 million. Oman's top imports from Canada in 2020 were non-durum wheat (US$10.7 million), milk and cream in solid form (US$0.5 million) and frozen French fries (US$0.1 million). Canadian maple sugar and maple syrup accounted for 53.8% of Oman's total global imports of maple products, and Canadian oats accounted for 24.4% of Oman's total global imports of oats.
| HS 6 code | Description | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 (January to November) | CAGR* % 2016-2020 | Canada's market share (%) 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total - Canada | 19,151,730 | 11,552,739 | 16,893,909 | 15,027,123 | 12,005,591 | −11.0 | 0.6 | |
| 100199 | Non-durum wheat | 18,368,050 | 10,761,588 | 11,722,140 | 13,678,070 | 10,658,783 | −12.7 | 9.4 |
| 040210 | Skim milk powder | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 489,656 | N/A[1] | 2.8 |
| 200410 | Frozen French fries | 103,723 | 100,660 | 218,997 | 145,485 | 118,029 | 3.3 | 0.8 |
| 210690 | Food preparations, nowhere else specified | 5,237 | 33,544 | 13,667 | 174,912 | 103,890 | 111.0 | 0.3 |
| 190590 | Bakers' wares | 312,481 | 283,083 | 263,878 | 228,806 | 87,924 | −27.2 | 0.3 |
| 100490 | Oats | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19,329 | 76,559 | N/C[2] | 24.4 |
| 040410 | Whey and modified whey | 94,592 | 0 | 16,772 | 44,172 | 67,756 | −8.0 | 11.9 |
| 170220 | Maple sugar and maple syrup | 27,611 | 19,118 | 26,732 | 55,041 | 55,045 | 18.8 | 53.8 |
| 190120 | Mixes and doughs for the preparation of bakers' wares | 8,982 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 53,072 | 55.9 | 4.7 |
| 200811 | Groundnuts | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 44,077 | N/A[1] | 2.8 |
|
Source: Global Trade Tracker, based on mirror data, as of January 2021 *CAGR: compound annual growth rate 1: not applicable 2: not calculable |
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Retail sales
Total sales of packaged food and non-alcoholic beverages in Oman increased by a CAGR of 3.8% over the period from 2015 to 2019 and are expected to remain steady through to 2024 (pre-COVID-19 estimates).
Meat, dairy and soy food, and bakery and cereals were the top three food categories, recording sales of US$843.4 million, US$770.3 million, and US$593.3 million, respectively. Savoury snacks had the largest CAGR gain for the period from 2015 to 2019, at 10.6%.
In the non-alcoholic beverages category, sales of soft drinks totalled US$844.8 million in 2019, down from US$858.5 million in 2015. Hot drinks increased by a CAGR of 6.4%, from US$253.0 million in 2015 to US$323.8 million in 2019.
| Category | 2015 | 2019 | CAGR* % 2015-2019 | 2020 | 2024 | CAGR* % 2020-2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food | 2,500.9 | 3,031.8 | 4.9 | 3,211.19 | 3,834.11 | 4.5 |
| Bakery and cereals | 473.1 | 593.3 | 5.8 | 645.20 | 798.45 | 5.5 |
| Beans and pulses | 22.0 | 29.8 | 7.9 | 33.48 | 42.34 | 6.0 |
| Confectionery | 101.1 | 127.4 | 5.9 | 135.47 | 161.44 | 4.5 |
| Dairy and soy food | 648.7 | 770.3 | 4.4 | 828.18 | 946.77 | 3.4 |
| Fish and seafood | 118.1 | 141.1 | 4.5 | 144.80 | 173.47 | 4.6 |
| Ice cream | 8.8 | 10.6 | 4.9 | 10.92 | 12.93 | 4.3 |
| Meat | 733.8 | 843.4 | 3.5 | 855.02 | 1,011.99 | 4.3 |
| Meat substitutes | 2.9 | 3.7 | 6.8 | 3.87 | 4.89 | 6.0 |
| Oils and fats | 135.6 | 166.7 | 5.3 | 178.43 | 207.56 | 3.9 |
| Pasta and noodles | 43.0 | 52.8 | 5.3 | 60.44 | 70.93 | 4.1 |
| Prepared meals | 5.6 | 7.2 | 6.2 | 7.46 | 8.82 | 4.3 |
| Savoury and deli foods | 7.5 | 8.9 | 4.3 | 9.05 | 10.44 | 3.7 |
| Savoury snacks | 96.6 | 144.4 | 10.6 | 156.25 | 210.79 | 7.8 |
| Seasonings, dressings and sauces | 48.9 | 58.2 | 4.4 | 60.97 | 70.99 | 3.9 |
| Soups | 11.7 | 13.9 | 4.5 | 15.09 | 18.37 | 5.0 |
| Syrups and spreads | 43.7 | 60.2 | 8.4 | 66.56 | 83.92 | 6.0 |
| Non-alcoholic beverages | 1111.5 | 1168.7 | 1.3 | 1,204.38 | 1,471.57 | 5.1 |
| Hot drinks | 253.0 | 323.8 | 6.4 | 326.72 | 380.98 | 3.9 |
| Soft drinks | 858.5 | 844.8 | −0.4 | 877.66 | 1,090.59 | 5.6 |
| Total | 3612.4 | 4200.5 | 3.8 | 4,415.6 | 5,305.7 | 4.7 |
|
Source: GlobalData,2021 1: Forecast period (2020-2024) - pre-COVID-19 estimates *CAGR: compound annual growth rate |
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For more information
The Canadian Trade Commissioner Service:
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For additional information on Gulfood 2021, please contact:
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Trade Show Strategy and Delivery
Agriculture and agri-food Canada
ben.berry@agr.gc.ca
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Resources
- FAOSTAT (2021). Agricultural Production – Oman.
- GlobalData (2021).
- Global Trade Tracker (2021).
- The World Bank, GCC Countries Outlook — October 2020
Market Overview – Oman
Global Analysis Report
Prepared by: Zhiduo, Wang
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