The country’s import of pulses grew by over 22 percent in August this fiscal year to $36.161 million because of the commodity’s weak yield in the country, an importer said on Wednesday. “The country’s production of channa [pulses] remained low this year,” said a leading importer of the commodity, Anis Majeed.
According to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), Pakistan’s import of pulses went up by 22.38 percent or $6.612 million to $36.161 million this August as compared to the commodity’s import of $29.549 million in August last fiscal year. Importers continue to estimate increase in the pulses import this year. Traders and sector analysts believe the country may go for import of nearly 80 percent of pulses this year to satisfy the local demand.
They said that around 80 percent of pulses crop of the country was ruined last winter from cold weather. The channa crop remained undersized due to a drought-spell during March-April period this year, they said. They said that in the absence of local yield, the country would have to rely on import of pulses from Australia, Burma, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Canada. They said that the country’s total consumption of pulses stands at 0.6 million metric tonnes a year. In terms of quantity, Pakistan imported 51,657 metric tonnes of pulses in August this fiscal year as compared to the commodity’s import of 46,088 metric tonnes in August last fiscal year, showing a rise of 12.08 percent or 5569 metric tonnes, the statistics suggest.
