Food Imports down 15 percent during April, 2018

According to the latest data released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), total food imports during the month of April clocked in at $485.897 million; posting a decline of 5.48 percent from March’s imports of $514.094 million.

Compared to that, year on year growth in the food imports went down by more than 15 percent during the month of April. The total imports during the month of April 2018 against April 2017 shrank by $28.197 million.

Food products imported to Pakistan mainly include Milk and Cream, Wheat unmilled, Dry Fruits, Tea, spices, Soya bean Oil, Palm Oil, Sugar, Pulses and all other items

The major chunk of imports under the food group was mainly from the Palm Oil which contributed a total of 38.14 percent of the entire imports. Total Palm Oil imported during the month of April, 2018 clocked in by $185.329 million grew from $166.793 million same month last year.

PBS data reveals the Soya bean Oil imports grew by 220 percent from March’s imports of 3.078 million. Soya Bean Oil imported during the month of April, 2018 clocked in at $9.851 million rise from $9.108 million same month last year.

Furthermore, year on year imports in other food items went down by 7.85 percent during April, 2018 with a month on month increase by 9.90 percent. Other Food items clocked in at 173.77 for the month of April, 2018. The other major chunk of imports under the food group comes from other food items.

Pulses imports clocked in at $34.803 million, shrank by 36.13 percent to 54.493 million during the period March 2017.