Imports of agricultural and other chemicals into the country in the first two months of the current financial year showed a decline of 23.07 percent when compared to the imports of the corresponding period of last year.
During the July-August period of this year, different chemicals related to the agriculture sector comprising fertilizers, insecticides, pesticides, medicinal products, and plastic materials valuing $1.702 billion were imported to meet the domestic requirements as compared to the imports of $1.702 billion of the same period last year.
During the period under consideration, the imports of fertilizers into the country decreased by 86.92 percent as it was registered at 23,552 metric tons worth $23.621 million as compared to the imports of 325,527 metric tons valuing $180.616 million in the same period last year, as per latest the data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
Moreover, the imports of plastic materials also reduced by 9.75 percent to 280,393 metric tons of plastic materials valuing $452.995 million imported when compared to the imports of 328.411 metric tons worth $501.947 million in the corresponding period last year.
PBS data further revealed that the imports of medicinal products into the country in the first two months of the current financial year came down from $689.315 million to $202.717 million as around 7,214 metric tons of different medicinal products were imported in the first two months as against the imports of 4,460 metric tons of same period last year.
On the other hand, the imports of insecticides, during the period under review, witnessed about 80 percent increase as around 7,223 metric tons of insecticides valuing $45.360 million imported as against the imports of 5,212 metric tons worth $25.113 million in the same period last year.
During the period under review, Pakistan spent $4.229 billion on the imports of other chemicals in the first nine months of the current financial year as compared to the import of $3.165 billion, which was higher by 33.60%.