ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s food exports witnessed an increase of 18.92 percent during the first three quarters of the current fiscal year as compared to the corresponding period of last year, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported.
The exports of various food commodities were recorded at $3,961.469 million during July-March (2021-22) as compared to the export of $3,331.257 million in July-March (2020-21), according to PBS data.
The food commodities that contribute to positive growth in trade included rice, the exports of which grew by 14.96 percent, from $1,560.429 million to $1,793.909 million.
Among the rice commodities, the exports of Basmati rice went up from $408.117 million to $496.389 million, an increase of 21.63 percent whereas the exports of other rice commodities climbed up from $1,152.312 million to $1,297.519 million, showing growth of 12.60 percent.
The other food commodities that contributed to positive growth included fish and fish preparations, the exports of which increased by 2.04percent, from $303.782 million to $309.979 million whereas the exports of fruits increased by 4.22 percent, from $378.575million to $294.538 million.
The exports of vegetables increased by 1.09 percent, from $245.739 million to $248.413 million; leguminous vegetables (pulses) by 100 percent, from zero exports to $0.068 million; tobacco by 59.35 percent, from $24.736 million to $39.418 million; spices by 18.05 percent, from $70.524 million to $83.251 million; oilseeds, nuts, and kernels by 131.41 percent, from $76.348 million to $176.678 million; meat and meat preparations by 1.18 percent, from $247.010 million to $249.934 million whereas the exports of all other food items increased by 56.86 percent, from $424.114 million to $665.282 million.
Meanwhile, on a year-on-year basis, the exports of food commodities increased by 10.22 percent during the month of March 2022 as compared to the same month of last year. The food exports during March 2022 were recorded at $526.466 million against the exports of $477.668 million.
