By Azeem Ahmed Khan

Pakistan’s food group imports declined significantly in March 2026 on both a month-on-month and year-on-year basis, mainly due to a sharp reduction in edible oil purchases, according to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.

The country imported food items worth Rs190.27 billion ($680.19 million) in March 2026, compared to Rs254.31 billion ($908.12 million) in February, reflecting a steep month-on-month decline of 25.18% in rupee terms.

On a yearly basis, food imports also dropped from Rs207.46 billion ($740.70 million) in March 2025, marking a decline of 8.29%.

The contraction was largely driven by edible oils, particularly palm oil and soybean oil, which account for a major share of the food import bill.

Palm oil imports fell to Rs80.38 billion in March 2026 from Rs107.98 billion in February, registering a 25.23% decline month-on-month. They were also lower than Rs90.17 billion recorded in March last year, reflecting a 4.09% decrease year-on-year.

Soybean oil imports fell sharply, plunging to Rs647 million in March from Rs3.19 billion in February, marking a 79.49% decline on a monthly basis. Compared to Rs13.98 billion in March 2025, imports were down by over 95% year-on-year.

Among other major items, tea imports declined to Rs13.41 billion in March from Rs17.20 billion in February, reflecting a 22.03% decrease, and were also lower than Rs16.35 billion in March 2025, down 17% year-on-year.

Imports of pulses also decreased to Rs17.03 billion from Rs19.99 billion in February, a 10.63% decline, and were significantly lower than Rs27.39 billion last year, showing a 20.69% drop.

In contrast, some categories recorded growth. Imports of milk, cream and infant food rose to Rs3.07 billion in March from Rs2.94 billion in February, and were also higher than Rs2.57 billion in March 2025, reflecting a notable year-on-year increase.

Spices imports edged up to Rs6.13 billion in March from Rs6.17 billion in February, while remaining higher than Rs5.39 billion recorded last year, showing a 12.63% annual increase.

Meanwhile, dry fruit and nut imports stood at Rs3.01 billion, slightly lower than in February but higher than Rs2.28 billion in March last year, indicating a 33.76% increase year-on-year.

Overall, the data shows a broad-based decline in food imports, driven primarily by edible oils, while selected categories such as dairy products and spices continued to record growth.

Credit: INP-WealthPk