ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s raw food exports grew 13.83 per cent to $3.96 billion in July-December 2024-25 compared to $3.48bn in the same period last year, mainly due to increased rice shipments.

Exports of foodstuffs have risen for the past 17 months despite unprecedented food inflation. As a result, consumers are paying higher prices because of supply and demand gaps.

Official figures compiled by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics showed that higher rice shipments significantly boosted food exports. In the first half of FY25, rice exports rose by 14.50pc year-on-year to $1.87bn in value.

The quantity of basmati rice surged 30.62pc to 416,491 tonnes year-on-year, and its value increased by 18.06pc to $433.82 million. Exports of non-basmati rice rose 13.47pc in value to $1.44bn and 17.35pc in quantity to 2.643m tonnes.

New markets, such as Bangladesh, were opening up for Pakistani rice, further underscoring the sector’s growth potential. The rice sector is a major contributor to Pakistan’s exports, especially in the European Union and the UK.

Due to sustained export growth over the past two years, the average price of basmati rice has surged to Rs400 per kg from Rs150, restricting buying from domestic consumers.

In the first six months, sugar exports reached 632,804 tonnes compared to 33,101 tonnes a year ago.

Meat exports increased by 3.64pc in 6MFY25 compared to the corresponding period of the previous year. The opening of new markets, participation of new companies in meat exports and approvals for additional slaughterhouses have contributed to this growth.

Meat prices in the domestic market have seen an unparalleled surge in recent years. In the past three and a half years, the average cost of buffalo meat has jumped from Rs700 per kg to Rs1,400.

Exports of vegetables, especially onions, grew 1.71pc in July-December. The export of fruits declined by 1.32pc. The export of fish and fish products record a paltry growth of 1.47pc.

Published in Dawn, January 24th, 2025