Pakistan's rice exports increased by 50.76 percent during first quarter of current financial year

ISLAMABAD: Rice exports from the country during first quarter of current financial year grew by 50.76 per cent as compared the exports of the corresponding period of last year.

During the period of July-September 2019, about 839,356 metric tons of rice worth $470.584 million were exported as compared to the exports of 551.586 metric tons valuing $312.147 million of the same period of last year.

According to the data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, the exports of basmati rice increased by 47.29 per cent, about 212,873 metric tons of basmati rice valuing $194.669 million exported as compared the 127,669 metric tons worth $132.166 million of same period of last year.

Country earned $275.915 million by exporting rice other then basmati, as about 226,983 metric tons of above mentioned commodity exported 423,917 metric tons valuing $179.981 million of same period of last year, it added.

Meanwhile, 34,090 metric tons of fish and fish preparations worth $79.549 million were also exported in first quarter of current financial year as compared to the exports of 25,859 metric tons valuing $67.294 million of same period of last year.

According the trade data, the fish and fish products exports registered about 81.21 per cent growth in last three months as compared to the same period of last year, the data reveled.

During the period under review, fruits and vegetables exports from the country also recorded positive growth of 10.20 per cent and 21.11 per cent respectively.

The country earned $111.338 by exporting about 131,762 metric tons of fruits, where as $38.459 million by exporting 145675 metric tons of vegetables respectively, it added.

Meanwhile the exports of the commodities that remained on down track during the period under review included wheat 88.11 per cent, spices 2.71 per cent, oil seed nuts and kernals reduced by 13.50 per cent and the exports of sugar decreased by 22.95 per cent.

It may be recalled here that food group exports of the country during first quarter of current financial year increased by 13.98 per cent as different food commodities worth US$984.757 million exported as compared to the exports of $864.005 million of the corresponding period of last year.

Meanwhile, the imports of the food commodities into the country decreased by 24.78 per cent as it came down from $1.458 billion of first quarter of last year to $1.096 billion in same period of current financial year.