Food group exports from the country during the first 09 months of the current financial year grew by 1.62 per cent as compared to the exports of the corresponding period of the last year, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics reported on Wednesday. During the period from July-March 2024-25, food commodities worth $5.749 billion were exported as compared to the exports of $5.658 billion of the same period of the last year. In last 09 months, the country exported over 663,980 metric tons of Basmati-Rice valued at $676.967 million as compared to same period of the last year, it added. Meanwhile, the exports of fish and fish preparations grew by 8.15 per cent as 151,787 metric tons of above mentioned products worth of $332.906 million were exported as compared to the exports of 145,671 metric tons valued at $289.568 million of the same period of the last year. During the period under review, about 37,212 metric tons of tobacco valued at $144.525 million were also exported as compared to the exports of 17.070 metric tons worth of $61.576 million of the same period of the last year. However, the imports of food commodities into the country during the first 09 months of the current financial year decreased by 2.74 per cent, which was recorded at $6.118 billion as against the imports of $6.290 billion of the same period of the last year. The imports of the commodities, including wheat, decreased by 100 per cent, tea by 5.45 per cent and import sugar reduced by 1.75 per cent during the period under review. The imports of food goods into the country during the month of March 2025 decreased by 11.13 percent as compared to the same month of the last year as food goods valued at $736.860 million were imported as compared to imports of $829.163 million in the same month of the last year. On the other hand food group exports from the country during the month of March 2025 went down by 16.66 per cent as food commodities worth $576.177 million were exported as compared to the exports of $691.355 million of the same month of the last year.