ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s rice export revenue saw a decline of 14.7% in FY25, primarily driven by a sharp drop in global prices, according to data released by a brokerage firm.Â
The country’s total rice exports amounted to 5.8 million metric tons (MMT) in FY25, marking a modest 3.7% decrease compared to 6 MMT in the previous year. However, the revenue from these exports fell by 14.7% year-on-year to $3.36 billion from $3.93 billion in FY24.
The revenue drop was largely attributed to falling international prices, especially for non-basmati rice, which constitutes over 85% of Pakistan’s rice exports. Basmati rice exports, though seeing a 3% increase in volume to 797,000 tons, experienced a 5.2% drop in earnings, down to $832 million from $877 million in FY24.
The overall decrease in revenue was also linked to a nearly 9.1% drop in average prices, which fell to Rs291.6 per kilogram in FY25, down from Rs320.8 per kilogram in FY24.
Exports of non-basmati rice decreased by 4.7% in volume and 17.4% in value, reflecting weaker demand and pricing pressure in key markets. The total revenue from non-basmati rice exports was $2.52 billion, compared to $3.05 billion in the previous year.
Rice exports also saw a sharp decline in June 2025, with shipments dropping 40.6% month-on-month and 37.1% compared to June 2024. Revenue from rice exports in June stood at $150 million, down by over 50% year-on-year and 37.4% month-on-month.
Consequently, rice’s share in Pakistan’s overall export earnings fell to 10.5% in FY25 from 12.8% in FY24. Despite the challenges, the rice sector remains an important contributor to the country’s foreign exchange earnings.
