Rice exports record $1,889b, up by 29.15pc from last year

ISLAMABAD: An increase of 29.15 per cent in rice exports was registered during 11 months of the current fiscal year as about 3.842 million metric tons of rice worth $1.889 billion was reported to have been exported during this period.

According to the data of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the export of rice was recorded at 3.889 million metric tons valuing $1.463 billion during the same period last year.

During the period from July-May, 2017-18, 461,472 metric tons of basmati rice worth $478.853 million was exported against the exports of 406,824 metric tons worth $385.746 in the same period last year.

In last 11 months of financial year 2017-18, basmati rice exports grew by 24.14 per cent as compared the exports of the corresponding period of last year, the data further added.

Meanwhile, the country earned $1.411 billion by exporting about 3.380 million metric tons of rice other than basmati rice during the period under review as compared to the exports of 2.860 million metric tons valuing $1.077 billion of the same period last year, it added.

It may be recalled that food group exports during last 11 months of the current financial year witnessed about 30.80  per cent growth as different food commodities including rice, fish, fish products, meat, meat preparations, fruits, vegetable pulses and others worth $4.479 billion were exported.

The exports of food commodities during the same period in the last financial year were recorded at $3.425 billion, the data revealed.

On the other hand, rice exports on a month on month basis also witnessed a tremendous increase in the month of May 2018 as compared the same month last year as it went up by 79.62 per cent and reached at 376,863 metric tons worth $209.898 million.

In the last month (May), exports of basmati rice witnessed 32.83  per cent growth and about 54,061 metric tons of basmati rice valuing $53.384 million was exported as compared to the exports of 48,571 metric tons worth $40.190 million in the same month last year.

The exports of rice other than basmati witnessed a 104.16 per cent growth during the period under review, and about 322,802 metric tons of rice worth $156.514 million was exported against the exports of 173,782 metric tons valuing $76.664 million in the same month last year.