ISLAMABAD: The food imports into the country reduced by 12.89 percent during first four months of ongoing financial year as compared to same period of last year.
The food imports during July-October (2015-16) were recorded at US $1.705 billion as compared to the imports of $1.954 billion in July-October (2014-15).
According to data release by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the food imports on year-on-year basis also decreased by 3.42 percent from $524.363 million in October 2014 to $506.438 million in October 2015.
On month-on-month basis, however the imports increased by 17.58 percent as the imports in September 2015 were recorded at $430.73 million.
According to detail, import of milk cream and milk food for infants increased from $74.742 million in July-October (2014-15) to $76.445 million in July-October (2015-16) thus showing an increased of 2.28 percent.
Similarly dry fruits and nuts imports also increased by 24.67 percent from $34.335 million last year to $42.804 million this year.
Likewise tea imports increased by 58.61 percent during the period under review from $111.175 million in first four months of previous fiscal year to $176.334 million during same period of current fiscal year.
The imports of spices during the period under review were recorded at 44.331 million as compared to that of $32.007 million during the period July-October (2014-15) thus showing an increase of 38.5 percent.
Soybean oil imports also increased by 98.7 percent from $34.528 million in first four months of 2014-15 to $68.607 million in same period of current fiscal year whereas the imports of palm oil decreased by 6.71 percent to $598.926 million from $641.984 million.
Similarly the sugar imports witnessed an increase of 79.07 percent from 1.835 million in July-October (2014-15) to $3.286 million in same period of current year while the imports of pulses also increased by 50.34 percent to $180.273 million from $119.909 million.
On year-on-year basis, the imports of milk, cream and milk food for infants, wheat and sugar in October 2015 as compared to October 2014 decreased by 12.07 percent, 100 percent and 42 percent respectively.
While the imports of dry fruits, tea, spices, soybean oil, palm oil and pulses increased by 16.7 percent, 98.49 percent, 53.6 percent, 1270 percent, 0.53 percent and 63.77 percent respectively.
Likewise on month-on-month basis, the imports of milk, cream and milk food for infants, tea, spices, soybean oil and palm oil increased by 5.35 percent, 38.65 percent, 22.64 percent, 36.18 percent respectively in October 2015 as compared to same month of last year.
