ISLAMABAD, Sept 21: Pakistan’s export of five major commodities — rice, construction materials, sanitary wares, electronic goods and sugar — to Afghanistan declined during the first two months (July-August) of the current fiscal year, over the same period last year.

Official data available with Dawn showed that only a few items, mainly cement, paints and varnishes, mild steel products, fruits and vegetables, milk and pulses, recorded a growth in exports to Kabul during the period under review.

However, the value of total exports to Afghanistan increased by 32.8pc to Rs11.380bn during the July-Aug period, as against Rs8.568bn in the same months last year.

It is believed that Indian products are penetrating in the Afghanistan market because of their competitiveness and quality. Moreover, the Indian officials posted in Afghanistan were also promoting their products by giving more facilities to their exporters.

The product-wise analysis showed that Pakistan’s exports of rice declined by 5.7pc to Rs317.881m during July-August, as against Rs337.136m last year; sugar decreased by 58.9pc to Rs204.170m against Rs497.504m; sanitary wares declined by 50.6pc to Rs6.699m against Rs13.562m; and construction materials dipped by 24.3pc to Rs156.801m against Rs207.308m.

No single electronic item was exported to Afghanistan during the first two months of the current fiscal year, as against the export of Rs30.801m worth of electronic goods exported during the same period last year.

The export of wheat and flour to Afghanistan increased by 19.7pc during the July-Aug period to Rs1.136 billion against Rs949.295m during the same period last year; ghee increased by 7.8pc to Rs924.622m against Rs857.651m; cement by 45.2pc to Rs974.338m against Rs670.819m; paints and varnishes by 69.8pc to Rs325.011m against Rs191.361m; and mild steel products increased by 49.7pc to Rs715.433m against Rs477.84m.

The export of electric goods to Afghanistan during the first two months of this fiscal year increased by 156.5pc to Rs166.179m against Rs64.769m; medicines by sevenpc to Rs113.342m against Rs105.881m; other grains and pulses by 749.6pc to Rs27.683m against Rs3.258m; fruits and vegetables by 110.5pc to Rs118.736m against Rs56.405m; and milk and cereals increased by 65.4pc to Rs197.573m against Rs119.406m.