ISLAMABAD  -  Edible oil including soyabean and palm imports into the country during the first 7 months of the current financial year de­creased by 49.85 percent and 34.14 percent, respectively, as compared to the imports of the corresponding period of last year.

During the period from July-January, 2023-24 about 91,950 metric tonnes of soyabean oil valued at $99.990 million were imported as compared to the im­ports of 136,870 metric tonnes costing $199.386 million of the same period of last year, according to the data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. During the period under review, over 1.735 million tonnes of palm oil worth $1.611 billion were im­ported as compared the imports of 1.927 metric tonnes valued at $2.446 billion of the same period of the last year, it added.

Meanwhile, the sugar imports into the country also decreased by 42.75 percent as about 2,260 metric tonnes of sugar valued at $2.10 million were imported as com­pared to the imports of 4,332 metric tonnes worth $3.67 million in the same period of last year. During the period under review, food group exports from the country grew by 57.66 percent as different food commod­ities valued at $4.267 billion were exported as compared to the exports of $2.706 mil­lion in the same period of last year.

On the other hand, food group imports into the country during the first 7 months of the current financial year decreased by 21.09 percent as food imports came down from $5.983 billion in the first 8 months of the last financial year to $4.721 billion during the same period of the current financial year. The imports of commodities including wheat decreased by 28.81 percent, soyabean oil by 48.85 percent, palm oil by 34.13 percent and sugar by 42.75 percent, respectively.