Food Exports Increased By 30.29%, Imports Reduced 23.25% In Four Months

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Nov, 2023) Food group exports from the country during the first four months of the current financial year grew by 30.29 per cent as compared to the exports of the corresponding period of last year.

During the period from July-October, 2023 food commodities valuing $ 1.944 billion were exported as compared to the exports of $1.492 billion in the same period of last year, according to the trade data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.

In the last 04 months, the exports of commodities including rice grew by 30.12 per cent, fruits by 13.53 per cent, pulses by 80.08 per cent, spices by 24.56 per cent, sugar by 100 per cent, meat and meat preparations grew by 18.77 per cent respectively.

Meanwhile, the exports of fish and fish products decreased by 7.96 per cent, vegetables by 37.89 per cent and tobacco by 20.97 per cent respectively.

In the last 04 months of the current financial year, over 1.054 million tons of rice valued at $710.788 million were exported as compared to the exports of 981,589 metric tons costing $546.

262 million in the same period of the last year.

The country also earned $108.995 million by exporting about 216,238 metric tons of fresh fruits during the period under review as against the exports of 150,985 metric tons valued at $96.003 million in the same period of last year.

During the period from July-October, 2023, over 96 metric tons of pulses valued at $84,000 were also exported as compared to the exports of 48 metric tons worth $47,000 in the same period of last year.

On the other hand, the food group imports into the country went down by 23.25 per cent as food commodities worth $2.633 billion were imported in the last four months as compared to the imports of $3.431 billion in the same period of last year.

During the period under review, the commodities which recorded negative growth in their imports including milk, cream and food for infants at 19.20 per cent, wheat un-milled at 63.82 per cent, spices at 3.73 per cent, soya bean oil at 33.08 per cent, palm oil at 31.45 per cent and sugar import into the country decreased by 46.37 per cent.