Pakistan's import bill for agricultural chemicals rose by 9.04% in the first half of the current financial year, reflecting higher spending on farm inputs even as fertiliser volumes declined.

According to data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, imports of the agriculture and other chemicals group reached $5.373bn during July-December 2026, compared with $4.928bn in the corresponding period last year.

Not all categories moved in the same direction. Fertiliser imports fell by 2.62% in volume terms. The country brought in 661,707 metric tonnes valued at $482.792m, against 719,583 metric tonnes worth $440.341m in the same period a year earlier.

Insecticides, however, recorded a sharp increase. Pakistan imported 19,003 metric tonnes costing $97.937m over the six-month period, compared with 12,702 metric tonnes valued at $67.365m last year. This represents a 45.38% rise in insecticide imports.

Plastic materials also registered growth. More than 1.260m metric tonnes valued at $1.448bn were imported, up 8.42% from 1.059m metric tonnes costing $1.335bn in the previous year's corresponding period.

Medicinal product imports expanded by 15.54%. Shipments totalled 22,750 metric tonnes valued at $737.932m, compared with 18,702 metric tonnes costing $636.087m during the same months last year.

The figures indicate sustained demand for agricultural chemicals and related inputs during the first half of the fiscal year, with insecticides and medicinal products posting particularly strong increases despite a modest contraction in fertiliser volumes.