Meat exports surge 17 percent in three quarters

ISLAMABAD: The exports of meat and meat preparations increased by 16.76 percent during the first three quarters of the current fiscal year, compared to the corresponding period of last year.

The exports of meat and meat preparation were recorded at 212.788 million during July-March 2015/16 compared to the exports of 182.248 during July-March 2014/15, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) data released on Tuesday. However, on year on year basis, the meat exports from the country decreased by 4.29 percent in March 2016 compared to the same month of last year. The meat exports in March 2016 were recorded at 24.435 million compared to the exports of 25.529 million.

Month on month basis the exports of meat and meat preparations declined by 23.66 percent in March 2016 when compared to the exports of 32.010 million in February 2016, the PBS data revealed. Meanwhile, the overall food exports from the country during the first three quarters of the current fiscal year decreased by 11.59 percent by falling from the trade of 3.439 last year to 1.375 billion. On the other hand, the overall imports into the country declined by 4.22 percent during the period compared to the corresponding period of last year.

Imports into the country during July-March 2015/16 were recorded at 32.515 billion compared to the imports of 33.948 billion during the same period in 2014/15, the PBS data said. 

The exports from the country also witnessed negative growth of 12.92 percent by falling from 17.921 billion last year to 15.606 billion during the current year.

Based on the figures, the overall trade deficit during the period under review was recorded at 16.909 billion compared to the deficit of 16.027 billion last year, showing an increase of 5.50 percent. Year on year basis the imports into the country during March 2016 witnessed increase of 3.78 percent compared to the same month of last year.

The imports in March 2016 were recorded at 3.594 billion compared to the imports of 3.463 billion during March 2015, the data revealed.

Exports on the other hand witnessed negative growth of 9.55 percent and reached 1.742 billion in March 2016 compared to the exports of 1.926 billion in March 2015.