Domestic tractor assembling witnessed about 15.21pc growth during the first half of the current financial year as compared to the production of the corresponding period of last year. During the period from July-December, 2021-22, local tractor assembling was recorded at 26,945 units as against the production of 23,387 tractors, showing growth of 15.21pc, according to the data of the Pakistan Automobile Manufacturing Association (PAMA). Meanwhile, the local sales of tractors also recorded over 20.93pc increase during the first six months of the current financial year as compared to the sales of the same period of last year, it added. During the last 6 months, about 26,479 tractors were sold against the sale of 21,853 tractors of the same period of last year, the data revealed. As compared to the corresponding month of last year, sales of farm tractors grew by 33.77pc in December 2021 as compared to the same month of last year, it added. The output of locally assembled farm tractors recorded about 16.37pc growth on a month-on-month basis as it reached 4,607 tractors in December 2021 as against 4,220 units produced in the same month of last year, it revealed. It may be recalled here that the government under its Agricultural Fiscal Package had approved Rs1.5 billion sales tax subsidy on locally manufactured tractors to promote mechanization in the agriculture sector to enhance per-acre crop output in the country, besides announcing a fiscal package of over Rs1,200 billion in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic. Out of this package, an amount of Rs50 billion was earmarked for relief to the agriculture sector under the package, sales tax subsidy at a rate of 5pc to locally manufactured tractors for one year were also approved, whereas 5pc sales tax was applied on the sale of each tractor. There are two main farm tractor manufacturing units in the country including Massey $) reported on Friday. The SPI for the week under review in the above-mentioned group was recorded at 167.39 points against 168.12 points registered in the previous week, according to the PBS data. The food commodities that contributed to the decline in weekly inflation included Chicken, the prices of which declined by 3.40pc, on a Week-on-Week (WoW) basis. Other food commodities that witnessed decline in prices included potatoes (1.65pc), tomatoes (1.26pc), wheat flour (0.61pc), garlic (0.47pc), sugar (0.17pc) and curd (0.16pc). Among non-food items, the prices of LPG went down by 1.15pc during the week. On a Year-on-Year basis, the commodities that witnessed a decrease in prices included tomatoes (40.82pc), pulse moong (25.37pc), chilies powdered (6.71pc), and sugar (0.40pc). Meanwhile, the commodities that witnessed an increase on a WoW basis, included onions (14.65pc), bananas (1.51pc), firewood (1.30pc), and matchbox (1.14pc). The items that witnessed an increase in prices on a YoY basis included electricity for Q1 (84.86pc), cooking oil 5 liters (53.49pc), gents’ sponge chappal (50.25pc), LPG (50.18pc), vegetable ghee 2.5 kg (49.68pc), vegetable ghee 1 kg (49.34pc), washing soap and mustard oil (45.85pc) each, gents’ sandal (44.49pc), pulse masoor (39.14pc), petrol (36.13pc) and diesel (28.07pc).