Rice valuing $545.708 million exported during the first four months of current financial year as against the exports of $594.600 million of the corresponding period of last year. During the period from July-October, 2022 about 965,360 metric tons of rice exported as compared to the exports of 1.091 million tons of same period last year, according to the data of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. Rice exports from the country during the period under review recorded negative growth of 8.22 percent as compared to the exports of the same period last year, whereas overall food group exports recorded about 4.27 percent increase and food commodities worth $1.493 billion exported in four months of the current financial year. The country earned $181.852 million by exporting about 173,684 metric tons of Basmati Rice as compared the exports of 229,791 metric tons worth $198.526 million of the same period last year. Meanwhile, 791,676 metric tons of rice other than Basmati valuing $363.856 million also exported in the last four months as against the exports of 861,199 metric tons valuing 386.074 million of the same period last year. It is worth mentioning here that rice production in the country during the last season was estimated at 5.53 million tons as the crop sown over 2.99 million hectares of land. During the period under review about 50,859 metric tons of fish and fish preparations valuing $134.595 million and 26,747 metric tons of meat and meat products worth $129.197 also exported. Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, here on Monday expressed satisfaction over the availability and production of sugar in the country. Chairing a meeting to review the demand and supply situation of sugar in the country, the minister stressed on maintaining the strategic reserves of the commodity and maintaining its price for providing maximum relief to masses. Among others, the meeting was attended by Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research (NFS&R), Tariq Bashir Cheema; Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Finance, Tariq Bajwa, SAPM on Revenue, Tariq Mehmood Pasha, Secretary NFS&R, Special Secretary Finance and other senior officers from Finance and NFS&R. Earlier, the meeting reviewed the available stock position and future demand of sugar in the country and was apprised that sufficient stocks of sugar are available in the country, according to press statement issued by finance ministry. It was informed that sugar mills have started crushing the sugar cane in Sindh and Punjab provinces, it said adding the participants were also apprised that production of sugar in the province of Sindh would be less than last year due to floods.