Daily Times

The exports of fish and fish preparations increased by 2.04pc during the first three quarters of the current fiscal year as compared to the corresponding period of last year.

The seafood exports during July-March (2021-22) were recorded at $309.979m against the exports of $303.782m in July-March (2020-21), showing growth of around 2.04pc, according to Pakistan Bureau of statistics (PBS).

In terms of quantity, seafood trade declined by 14.55pc as its exports decreased from 136,971 metric tons to 116,514 metric tons.

On year-on-year basis, the fish exports from the country however declined by 19.81pc by going down from $52.583m during March 2021 to $42.168m in March 2022.

On month-on-month basis, the seafood exports however surged by 16.40pc when compared to the exports of $36.227m in February 2020, the PBS data revealed.

Meanwhile, the overall food exports from the country witnessed an increase of 18.92pc during the first three quarters of the current fiscal year. These exports were recorded at $3,961.469m during July-March (2021-22) as compared to $3,331.257m in July-March (2020-21).

Meanwhile, on year-on-year basis, the exports of food commodities increased by 10.22pc during the month of March 2022 as compared to the same month of last year. The food exports during March 2022 were recorded at $526.466m against the exports of $477.668m.

It is pertinent to mention here that the overall exports from the country witnessed an increase of 24.67pc during the first nine months of the current fiscal year (2021-22) as compared to the corresponding months of last year.

The exports from the country were recorded at $23.298b during July-March (2021-22) against the exports of $18.687b recorded during July-March (2020-21), showing growth of 24.67pc. The imports during the months under review also went up by 48.63pc by growing from $39.489b last year to $58.691b in July-March (2021-22).