ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s raw food exports rose by 1.62% to $5.75 billion during the first nine months of the current fiscal year, compared to $4.66 billion in the same period last year.
This increase was primarily driven by higher shipments of sugar and basmati rice, despite ongoing food inflation challenges within the country.
Exports have shown consistent growth over the past 20 months, even amid historical levels of food inflation, particularly in sugar, meat, and poultry. The government’s policy allowing the export of 150,000 tonnes of sugar in June 2024, conditional on maintaining stable retail prices, was exceeded, with sugar exports reaching 757,779 tonnes by March. However, no sugar exports were reported in March 2025.
Rice exports, while contributing significantly to the overall food export growth, saw a 5.91% decline in value, falling to $2.76 billion in 9MFY25 from $2.93 billion a year earlier. This decrease was mainly due to a decline in non-basmati rice exports, although shipments of basmati rice saw a 21.78% increase in quantity, reaching 663,980 tonnes. The value of basmati rice exports rose by 8.78% to $676.96 million.
Non-basmati rice exports fell by 9.87% in value, to $2.08 billion, but saw a slight increase of 0.14% in quantity, amounting to 4.02 million tonnes. New markets, including Bangladesh, have opened up for Pakistani rice, indicating growth potential for the sector.
The meat export sector also recorded modest growth, with a 0.99% increase in the first nine months of FY25. This was attributed to new market openings, increased participation by new companies, and approvals for additional slaughterhouses. Despite this, domestic meat prices have surged significantly, with buffalo meat prices increasing from Rs700 per kg to Rs1,600 per kg over the past three and a half years.
However, vegetable exports saw a decline of 17.09%, mainly due to decreased exports of onions, potatoes, and tomatoes. Similarly, fruit exports decreased by 5.04%, while fish and fish products recorded a modest growth of 8.15% during the same period.
These trends highlight the ongoing challenges in Pakistan’s food export sector, with rising domestic prices affecting local consumption, while export growth continues to be driven by specific commodities like sugar and basmati rice.
