ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s rice exports during the first quarter of the ongoing fiscal year demonstrated a positive growth of 0.98% when compared to the same period of the previous year.
During the period from July to September 2023, the rice export figures have reached an impressive 559,557 metric tons, amounting to a total value of 406.387 million dollars. This marks a significant achievement when compared to the same period in the previous year, where 724,082 metric tons of rice, valued at 402.461 million dollars, were exported, the data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics showed.
Over the past three months, the Basmati rice exports witnessed a growth of 20.48% as 134,839 metric tons of Basmati rice, valued at 131.611 million dollars, were exported against the exports of 130,054 metric tons costing 131.611 million dollars of the corresponding period in the previous year.
Meanwhile, the country earned 460,718 metric tons of rice other than basmati rice worth 247.817 million dollars exported as compared to the exports of 594,028 metric tons, valuing 270.851 million dollars in the corresponding period last year.
Pakistan’s Food Exports
Pakistan’s food group exports during the first quarter of the financial year 2023-24 increased by 18.88% as food commodities worth 1.280 billion dollars were exported, compared to 1.077 billion dollars in the same period last year.
Besides, the exports of fish and fish preparations increased by 3.75%, with 37,803 metric tons of the aforementioned commodity, costing 83.064 million dollars, being exported.
Meanwhile, Pakistan earned 88.668 million dollars by exporting approximately 155,776 metric tons of fruits, in contrast to the exports of 105,950 metric tons of fruits valued at 78.867 million dollars during the same period last year.
In the first quarter of the current fiscal year, over 96 metric tons of leguminous vegetables (pulses) valued at 84,000 dollars were also exported, as opposed to the exports of 48 metric tons costing 47,000 dollars, marking an increase of 80.08% from the same period last year.
On the other side, food group imports into Pakistan during the first quarter of the current fiscal year decreased by 32.00%. Food commodities costing 1.85 billion dollars were imported, compared to the imports of 2.723 billion dollars during the same period of the previous year.
