Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan earned $1.86 billion by exporting rice in last fiscal year.

About 4,262,216 metric tonnes of rice were exported during the period from July-June, 2015-16, according to the data of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. However, rice export witnesses 8.6 percent decrease as its export was recorded at 3,861,406 metric tonnes valuing $2.035 billion in financial year 2014-15.

During the period under review, export of 503,037 metric tonnes of basmati rice earned Pakistan $ 455.24 million as compared to the export that fetched $601.268 million last year. About 3,759,179 metric tonnes of rice other then basmati valuing $1.405 billion were exported during financial year 2015-16 as compared to the export of 3,337,956 metric tonnes valuing $ 1.43 billion in financial year 2014-15. Similarly, export of spices was recorded at $ 76.16 million during July-June (2015-16), compared to the export of spices worth $ 66.216 million in July-June (2014-15). In terms of quantity, the exports increased by 8.29 percent by going up from 6,713 metric tonnes to 20,281 metric tonnes. In June this year, total exports of spices were recorded at $4.551 million compared to the exports worth $6.276 million in June 2015. It may be recalled that overall food exports during the FY 2016 decreased by 12.56 percent compared to FY15. Food exports during the FY16 were recorded at $3.99 billion as compared to $4.56 billion in FY15.