Women Entrepreneurs Fair kicks off

PESHAWAR (APP): The 5th Women Entrepreneurs Trade Fair organized by Trade Development Authority (TDA), Tourism Corporation Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (TCKP) and Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry kicked off here on Tuesday. The two-day fair was organized with an aim to bring women artisan in limelight and create opportunities and vistas for them. A variety of stalls showcasing handicrafts, hand-made fabrics, Charsadda chapples, traditional furniture, jewelry, path work were being setup in the fair. The efforts was meant to provide a platform to household women entrepreneurs who are unable to explore markets for their products due to social restrictions. A large of women entrepreneurs from various cities including Karachi, Faisalabad and are participating in the event. Trade Corporation and TKCP have also setup their stalls in the fair to create awareness among the people regarding rich traditional heritage of the province. Launching ceremony among others was attended by President Women Chamber, Fouzia Inayat and Director Trade Development Authority, SarirUddin.

Agri machinery worth $124m imported

ISLAMABAD (APP): Agriculture machinery valuing $124.412 million imported in FY 2017-18. The import of agriculture machinery during the financial year 2017-18, witnessed about 4.77 percent growth as country spent $124.412 million of the mechanization of agriculture sector of the country as against the corresponding period of last year. During the period from July-June, 2017-18, agriculture machinery worth $124.412 million were imported as against the import of $118.743 million of same period of last year, according the data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. During the period under review, other machinery worth $3.666 billion were imported, which posted about 9.28 percent growth when it was compared the import of $3.354 billion of same period last year. Meanwhile, in last fiscal year, telecom machinery valuing $1.534 billion imported as compared the imports of $1.351 billion of same period of last year, where as mobile phones worth $847.654 million imported as against the $709.690 million of same period last year.

By the end of last fiscal year, country imported transport group goods valuing $4.383 billion as compared the imports of $3.327 billion of same period of last year, which grew by 31.74 percent, the data reveled.

It may be recalled that machinery group imports into the country during last financial year ended on June 31, 2018 were stood at $11.596 billion, which recorded at $11.754 billion during the corresponding period of last year.

Hybrid rice cultivated 800,000 hectares

ISLAMABAD (APP): The hybrid rice had been cultivated over 800,000 hectares of land across the crop producing areas of the country in order to give boost to the local output of the commodity and enhance the farm income particularly the small scale and medium land holders to maximize their farm income. The area under hybrid rice production was gradually increasing and it was phasing-out the trend of conventional seed, which would help in boosting the local output and also resulted in enhancing the exports to fetch more foreign exchange for economic development of the country, said Member Plant Science of the PARC Dr Muhammad Yousuf. He said that hybrid rice cultivation across the crop sowing areas during current season had registered significant  increase and it is expected that the trend of hybrid rice seed would gain momentum during the next season. He said that rice had been cultivated over approximately 2.8 million hectares of land  to produce about 7.4 million tonnes of the above mentioned commodity during the current sowing season.

He said that out of the total produces, 60 percent was consumed locally, where as 40 percent was exported.

Meanwhile, he informed that a group of Chinese hybrid rice experts and scientists would visit Pakistan next month (September) to impart training to local scientists for the promotion and development of hybrid seed verities across the crop sowing areas of the country to boost local output.

In first phase a batch of 40 scientists selected all across the country would be trained to promote and develop the hybrid rice production technology in the country.

He said that Pakistan and Chinese government had signed a memorandum of understanding for the promotion of hybrid rice verities in Pakistan as well as capacity building of local scientists in field of hybrid rice.

Under the agreement, he said that 28 scientists all across the country were selected for the training programme and they had completed their training form China and now they were extending their services for the promotion and development of hybrid rice seed in the country.

It is worth mentioning here that country earned $2.073 billion by exporting about 4.106 million tonnes of rice during 12 months of last financial year as compared the exports of 3.523 million tons valuing $1.606 billion of the corresponding period of last years.

During the period from July-June, 2017-18, about 520,759 metric tonnes of basmati rice worth $540.231 million were exported as against 496,263 metric tonnes valuing $453.441 million of same period of last year, showing an increase of 19.14 percent growth.

Sports goods' exports up by 7.83pc

ISLAMABAD (APP): The exports of sports goods from the country witnessed an increase of 7.83 percent during the fiscal year 2017-18 as against the corresponding period of last year, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported. The country exported sports goods worth $332.516 million during July-June (2017-18) against the trade of $308.361 million during July-June (2016-17), showing growth of 7.83 percent, the PBS data revealed. Among the sports products, the exports of footballs increased by 9.38 percent by going up from $152.565 million last year to $166.881 million during the fiscal year under review. The exports of gloves increased from $107.918 million to $111.740 million, showing growth of 3.54 percent while the exports of all other sports products went up from $47.878 million to $53.895 million, witnessing increase of 12.57 percent.  Meanwhile, on year-on-year basis, the exports of sports products during June 2018 increased by 3.89 percent to $29.275 million when compare to the exports of $28.180 million during June 2017.

On year-on-year basis, the exports of footballs decreased by 2.59 percent while the exports of gloves and other sports products increased by 11.44 percent and 8.78 percent respectively.

On month-on-month basis, the exports of sports products increased by 4.89 percent in June when compared to the exports of $27.909 million in May 2018, the data revealed.

During the month under review, the exports of footballs decreased by 11.14 percent while the exports of gloves and other sports products went up by 33.62 percent and 11.85 percent respectively.

It is pertinent to mention here that the overall merchandise imports into the country during the fiscal year 2017-18 increased by 15.10 percent by going up from $52.910 billion in FY 2016-17 to $60.898 billion.

On the other hand, the exports from the country surged by 13.74 percent from $20.422 billion to $23.228 billion.

Based on the figures, the external trade deficit during the outgoing fiscal year 2017-18 increased by 15.95 compared to last year.

The trade deficit during FY 2017-18 was recorded at $ 37.670 billion against the deficit of $32.488 billion in FY 2016-17.