Pak food imports up by 75pc
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news- ... up-by-75pc
IMRAN ALI KUNDI
ISLAMABAD - Despite being an agricultural country, Pakistan’s food imports had increased by over 75 percent during the first half (July-December) of the current financial year against the same period previous year.
The country had imported foodstuff worth of $2.708 billion in the first half of the ongoing fiscal year, as compareD to $1.547 billion in the same period of 2009-10, which reflects an increase of 75.03 percent.
According to the data released by the Federal Bureau of Statistics, the pulses imports surged by 98.92 percent during July-December 2010-11 against same period of 2009-10, sugar imports went up by 368 percent, palm oil, 60.60 percent, soyabean oil, 680.75 percent, species, 52.41 percent, tea, 26.41 percent and dry fruits 13.25 percent.
Meanwhile, food imports haVE registered an increase of over 121 percent only in December 2010 against the same month of 2009. The economic experts believed that the main reason behind the huge food imports is short run disruption to the supply chain in agriculture sector post floods situation.
Meanwhile, the import of petroleum products also went up by over 17 percent during the first half of the current financial year, as the country imported products worth of $5.467 billion in July-December 2010-11 against $4.641 billion of July-December 2009-10. Machinery group’s imports enhanced by 1.76 percent, transport group’s imports up by 3.82 percent, textile group’s imports 67.70 percent during July-December 2010-11 against July-December 2009-10.
On the other hand, the country’s textile exports had increased by 25.79 percent during the first half of present fiscal year, as it exported textiles goods worth of $6.284 billion against $4.996 billion in the same period last year. In textiles groups, raw cotton exports surged by 13.91 percent, cotton yarn, 26.49 percent, cotton cloth, 30.63 percent, yarn, 43.11 percent knitwear, 24.07 percent, bed wear, 16.01 percent, towels, 7.23 percent and readymade garments 35 percent in July-December period.
Meanwhile, food exports increased by 6.16 percent during July-December 2010-11 against the same period last year. The rice’s export enhanced by 7.56 percent, fish, 5.83 percent, fruits, 35.25 percent, meat, 54.56 percent and tobacco by 73 percent in the period under review.
The exports of cement decreased by 11.55 percent, and handicrafts 80.74 percent.