ISLAMABAD: Tea import into the country during the first quarter of the current financial year grew by 8.51 per cent as compared the corresponding period of last year, as tea worth $148.325 million has been imported as compared the import of $136.687 million during the same period last year.
During the period from July-September 2018, about 55,749 metric tonnes of tea was imported as compared the imports of 45,426 metric tonnes in the same period of last year, according to the data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. However, imports of spices during the period under review reduced by 12.37 per cent and was recorded at 34,164 metric tonnes as compared the imports of 39,466 metric tonnes in the same period last year.
Spices worth $40.698 million were imported in three months of the current financial year which, was recorded at 39,466 metric tonnes in the same period last year.
Meanwhile, the imports of edible oil, including soybean and palm, also reduced by 70.47 per cent and 4.82 per cent respectively, as the import of soybean oil into the country was recorded at $22.769 million as compared the $77.113 million during the same period last year.
About 29,858 metric tonnes of soybean oil was imported in the first three months of the current financial year, as compared the import of 82,085 metric tonnes during the same period last year.
The import of palm oil into the country also reduced by 4.82 per cent as it was recorded at $485.715 million in the first quarter of 2018-19, which stood at $510.303 million in the corresponding period of last year.
It may be recalled that during the first quarter of the current financial year, food group import into the country reduced by 10.31 per cent and reached at $1.454 billion as compared the imports of $1.621 billion in the same period of last year.
