Imports of edible oil, including soya bean and palm, into the country during the first three quarters of the current financial year increased by 116.37 per cent and 23.42 per cent respectively as compared to the imports of the corresponding period of the last year. During the period from July to March 2024-25, about 237,655 metric tons of soyabean oil valued at $251.137 million were imported as compared to the imports of 107,705 metric tons worth $116.070 million of the same period of the last year, according to the data of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. Meanwhile, the country also spent $2.572 billion on the imports of palm oil to fullfil the local consumption of edible oil, as compared to the imports of 2.084 billion of the same period of the last year, it added. In the last 09 months, over 2.489 million tons of palm oil were imported as compared to the imports of 2.263 million tons of the same period of the last year, which were up by 23.24 per cent. It is worth mentioning here that the food group imports into the country during the fist 09 months of the current financial year decreased by 2.74 percent as compared to the imports of the corresponding period of the last year. During the period from July to March 2024-25, imports of food commodities went down from $6.290 billion to $6.118 billion. On the other hand, food group exports from the country during the first 09 months of the current financial year grew by 1.62 per cent as compared to the exports of the corresponding period of the last year. During the period from July-March 2024-25, food commodities worth $5.749 billion were exported as compared to the exports of $5.658 billion of the same period of the last year.