Pakistan has sharply increased its imports of insecticides. According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), insecticide imports in July-August 2026 rose by 53.40% in value to $35.469m, up from $23.122m a year earlier. Volumes increased even faster, rising by about 73% from 4,013 tonnes to 6,931 tonnes.

Imports in the broader agricultural and other chemicals group also increased. The country spent $1.910bn on the group in the first two months of FY2027, 9.03% more than the $1.751bn spent a year earlier.

Fertiliser imports followed a different pattern from insecticides. Imports of manufactured fertiliser fell from 155,830 tonnes to 128,337 tonnes, a decline of about 18%. Their cost, however, rose from $28.277m to $30.021m, so Pakistan paid more for less fertiliser.

Plastics showed the same pattern. Imports of plastic materials fell from 433,823 tonnes to 388,876 tonnes, about 10% less, while their value rose by about 11% to $570.422m from $510.314m.

The large increase in insecticide imports suggests that farmers are increasing their use of crop protection. At the same time, higher prices for fertiliser and plastics raised the cost of imports even though Pakistan bought smaller quantities.

The figures show that chemical import costs are rising faster than volumes. For an economy already struggling with a large trade deficit, the trend adds pressure on the import bill.