Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The country earned $1.860 billion by exporting rice during financial year 2015-16 as compared to the exports of corresponding period of last year.

About 4,262,216 metric tons of rice exported during the period from July-June, 2015-16, according the data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. However, rice export witnesses decrease of 8.60 percent during financial year 2015-16 as its export was recorded at 3,861,406 metric tons valuing $2.035 billion during financial year 2014-15.

During the period under review, 503,037 metric tons of basmati rice worth $455.249 million exported as compared to the export of 523.450 metric tons valuing 601.268 million of same period of last year.

Meanwhile, about 3,759,179 metric tons of rice other then basmati costing $1.405 billion were exported during financial year 2015-16 as compared to the export of 3,337,956 metric tons valuing $1.433 billion of financial year 2014-15.

Same time, exports of spices from the country were recorded at $76.160 million during July-June (2015-16), compared to the exports of $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 tons to 20,281 metric tons.

In June 2016, the total exports of spices were recorded at $4.551 million compared to the exports of $6.276 million in June 2015. It may be recalled that overall food exports from the country during the FY 2016 decreased by 12.56 percent compared to FY 2015. The food exports during the FY 16 were recorded at $3.990 billion compared to the exports of US$ 4.563 billion in FY 2015.