20/02/2010 (Pakistan Observer), Islamabad - Minister for Commerce Makhdoom Amin Fahim on Friday informed the Senate that 10,272,963 Metric Tonnes of food items worth $ 8706.4 million were imported during last two years from 2007-2009. The food items include milk, wheat, dry fruit, tea, spices, soybean oil,palm oil, sugar and other food items.

Giving comparative details of the items he said, 1,820225 MT of Wheat worth $ 860 million was imported in 2007-08 whereas its import in 2008-09 was 3,102,634 MT worth $ 1,078.6 million.

The other important commodities include, the quantity of Milk imported in 2007-08 was 31,892 MT worth $ 74.2 million and in 2008-09 it was 31,416 MT worth $ 72.4 million, the quantity of Tea imported in 2007-08 was 100,391 MT worth $ 202 million and in 2008-09 it was 96,932 MT worth $ 222.6, Palm oil in 2007-08 was 1,763,944 MT worth $ 1,616.6 million and in 2008-09 it was 1,773,580 MT worth $ 1,390.9 and the quantity of sugar imported in 2007-08 was 36,692 MT worth $ 14.8 million and in 2008-09 it was 125,743 MT worth $ 56.3 million.

To another question, the minister stated that the total quantity and value of food items exported during the two years from 2007-2009 remained $ 5855.9 million. These include rice, fish and fish preparations, fruits, vegetables, wheat, spices, oil seeds, nuts nd kernals, sugar, meat and meat preparations and other food items. Giving comparative details of important items, he said 280148 Metric Tonnes of rice valuing $ 1,836.1 million was exported in the year 2007-08 and in 2008-09 its quantity was 2729360 MT worth $1,983.2 million.—APP