Food exports decrease 1.04%, imports increase 0.56% in 10 months

ISLAMABAD: Food group exports from the country during the last 10 months of the current financial year decreased by 1.04 per cent, whereas food imports grew by 0.56 per cent as compared to the imports and exports of the corresponding period of the last year.

During the period from July-April 2024-25, food commodities valued at $6.164 billion were exported as compared to the exports of $6.229 billion of the same period last year, according to data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.

Meanwhile, food commodities worth $6.855 billion were imported during the first 10 months of the current financial year as compared to the imports of $6.817 billion of the same period last year, it added.

Over the past 10 months, data indicates a significant decrease in the import of certain commodities. Specifically, unmilled wheat imports declined by 100 per cent. Tea imports also saw a decrease of 5.13 per cent, falling from $547.43 million to $519.368 million during the reviewed period.

Conversely, some food items experienced an increase in imports. Milk cream and milk food for infants saw a growth of 18.35 per cent. During this period, 28,513 metric tons of these commodities, valued at $103.322 million, were imported, compared to 26,158 metric tonnes valued at $87.302 million during the same period last year.

Other commodities showing positive import growth included soybean oil, which surged by 139.82 per cent to $279.626 million, and palm oil, which increased by 24.78 per cent to $2.87 billion. This is compared to imports of $116.6 million for soybean oil and $2.3 billion for palm oil during the corresponding period last year.During the period from July 2024 to April 2025, Basmati Rice exports experienced a growth of 3.36 per cent.

The country exported 702,598 metric tonnes of Basmati Rice valued at $722.708 million, compared to 612,126 metric tonnes worth $699.208 million during the same period last year. Pakistan’s earnings from fish and fish product exports reached $370.891 million for 171,886 metric tonnes during the reviewed period.