Rice exports increase by 44% in first four months of FY20

ISLAMABAD: Rice exports from the country during first four months of current financial year grew by 43.76% as compared to the exports of the corresponding period of last year.

During the period from July-October, rice worth $633.739 million was exported as compared to the export of $440.828 million in the same period last year, according the data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.

Rice exports during the period under review witnessed significant increase as it went up from 800,078 metric tons in first four months of last financial year to 1,141,334 metric tons in same period of current financial year.

The exports of basmati rice increased by 55.32% as about 279,257 metric tons of basmati rice worth $256.817 million were exported as against the exports of 161,812 metric tons valuing $165.351 million in the same period of last year.

In first four months of current financial year, about 54,177 metric tons of fish and fish products valuing $129.655 million were also exported as compared to the exports of 44,513 metric tons worth $109.776 million in the same period of last year.

The exports of meat and meat products witnessed 53.57% increase in four months of financial year 2019-20, as 27,554 metric tons of the above mentioned commodity worth $97.885 million were exported which was recorded at 17,566 metric tons valuing $63.722 million in same period of last year.

It may be recalled here that food group exports from the country during first four months of current financial year increased by 16.21%, whereas import of the food commodities into the country decreased by 20.34% as compared to the corresponding period of last year.

The imports of the food group came down to $1.583 billion during the period from July-October, 2019-20 from $1.987 billion in the same period of last year.