Food group exports from the country during the first half of the current financial year grew by 49.84 per cent as compared to the exports of the corresponding period of last year. During the period from July-December, 2023 food commodities valued at $3.481 billion were exported as against the exports of $2.323 billion of the same period of the last year, according to the data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. During the period under review, rice exports increased by 76.53 per cent and over 2.570 million tons of rice worth $1.638 billion were exported as compared to the exports of 1.732 million tons valued at $927.918 million in the same period of last year, it added. Meanwhile, the exports of fruits grew by 9.31 per cent and pulses by 79.01 per cent as 446,901 metric tons of fruits and 96 metric tons of pulses valued at $171.280 million and $48,000 were exported during the period under review, the data revealed. Meanwhile, the exports of tobacco increased by 64.92 per cent and spices by 21.37 per cent respectively as 14,239 metric tons of tobacco worth $44.919 million and 19,500 metric tons of spices valued at $57.125 million were exported during the last six months of the current financial year. In the first two quarters of the current financial year the exports of oil seed and nuts grew by 250.45 per cent, whereas exports of sugar increased by 100 per cent as compared to the exports of the same period of last year, it added. In the last 06 months, the country earned $363.998 million by exporting about 225,102 metric tons of oil seeds and nuts, whereas $21.071 million was fetched by exporting about 33,102 metric tons of sugar respectively. The country earned $239.711 million by exporting about 59,310 metric tons of meat and meat products as the exports of meat and meat preparations grew by 24.90 per cent during the period under review. As compared to the corresponding month of last year, the food group exports grew by 111.63 per cent in December 2023 as compared to the same month of the last year. During last month food commodities worth $840.819 million were exported as compared to the exports of $397.307 in the same month of last year. It may be recalled here that during the period under review, the exports increased by 5.17 per cent to $14.981 billion compared to the exports of $14.244 billion during the corresponding period of last year, according to the latest PBS data. On the other hand, the imports narrowed by 16.28 per cent and were recorded at $26.129 billion compared to $31.209 billion last year. Meanwhile, on a year-on-year basis, the exports from the country increased by 22.21 per cent in December compared to the exports of the same month of last year. The exports during the month were recorded at $2.812 billion as against the exports of $2.301 billion in December 2022.