Daily Times

Food exports from the country witnessed an increase of 20.29pc during the ten months of the current fiscal year as compared to the corresponding period of last year, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported.

The exports of various food commodities were recorded at $4,471.703m during July-April (2021-22) as compared to the exports of $3,717.328m in July- April (2020-21), according to PBS data.

The food commodities that contribute in positive growth of trade included rice, the exports of which grew by 17.21pc, from $1,750.045m to $2,051.307m. Among the rice commodities, the exports of Basmati rice went up from $470.195m to $574.220m, an increase of 22.12pc whereas the exports of other rice commodities climbed up from $1,279.850m to $1,477.087m, showing growth of 15.41pc.

The other food commodities that contributed in positive growth included fruits, the exports of which increased by 4.77pc, from $393.410m to $412.187m whereas the exports of vegetable rose by 0.46pc, from $277.102m to $278.365m. The exports of leguminous vegetables (pulses) increased by 100pc, from zero exports to $0.068m; tobacco by 58.87pc, from $27.799m to $44.165m; spices by 16.33pc, from $77.187m to $89.794m; oil seeds, nuts and kernels by 118.93pc, from $84.595m to $185.200m; meat and meat preparations by 1.94pc, from $279.290m to $284.699m whereas the exports of all other food items increased by 63.16pc, from $475.93m to $776.490m.

The food commodities that contribute in negative growth in trade included fish and fish preparations, the exports of which decreased by 0.73pc, from $351.997m to $349.427m. Meanwhile, on year-on-year basis, the exports of food commodities increased by 35.71pc during the month of April 2022 as compared to the same month of last year. The food exports during April 2022 were recorded at $523.946m against the exports of $386.071m. On month-on-month basis, the exports of food commodities increased by 2.18m in April 2022 when compared to the exports of $512.751m in March 2022, PBS reported.