ISLAMABAD
The country earned $ 512.321 million by exporting different food commodities during the first two months of the current financial year as compared to the earnings of the corresponding period of last year.
During the period from July-August 2017, food group exports from the country increased by 30.6 per cent as compared to the exports during the same period of last year.
According to the data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics during last two months exports of rice grew by 40 per cent as around 428,993 metric tons of rice worth $ 223.937 million were exported.
The rice export during first two months of last financial year was recorded at 3810,861 metric tons valuing $ 159.543 million, it added.
Meanwhile, the exports of basmati rice grew by 10.35 per cent and about 59,433 metric tons of basmati rice worth $ 62.741 million was exported as compared to the exports of 59,192 metric tons valuing $ 56.857 million of the same period last year.
The exports of rice other than basmati also witnessed an increase of 58.98 per cent, around 369.580 metric tons of rice costing $ 161.198 million was exported as compared to the exports of 251,669 metric tons worth $ 102.888 million of last year.
From July-August, 2017-18, fruit and vegetable exports increased by 8.74 per cent and reached at 56,280 metric tons worth of $ 20.583 million as against the exports of 73,751 metric tons of $ 18.888 million of same period last year, it added
The other commodities which witnessed increase in their exports during the period under review included fish and fish production by 19.63 per cent, wheat and sugar 100 per cent respectively. It may be recalled here that imports of the food commodities into the country also witnessed an increase of 27.18 per cent and about $ 1.123 billion was spent on the import of different food items to fulfil the domestic requirements.
