Maldives Customs Service has revealed the import of staples increased by 34% in the first three months of 2020, compared to the same period last year.
Statistics from Customs revealed 19,376 tonnes of staples were imported to the Maldives between January and March, which is worth USD 11.4 million. This was a 34% increase compared to the staples imported between January and March of 2019.
The statistics revealed the import of frozen chicken has increased by 61% this year, compared to 2019. As such, 3,462 tonnes of frozen chicken were brought into the Maldives within the first three months of the year.
Meanwhile, the import of potato, cooking gas, sanitary pads and nappies have shown a decrease this year. In this regard, import of potato has decreased by 6%, while import of sanitary pads has decreased by 16%. The import of cooking gas has decreased by 21%, compared to last year.