Food exports from the country increased by 11.09 percent during the first eleven months of the current fiscal year as compared to the exports of the corresponding period of last year.
The food exports during July-May (2012-13) were recorded at $4.342 billion against the exports of $3.909 billion recorded during July-May (2011-12), according the data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
The food commodities that contributed in the positive growth included fish and fish preparations, exports of which increased from $296.208 million last year to $305.927 million during the current year, showing an increase of 3.29 percent.
Exports of fruits and vegetables increased by 4.8 percent and 38.10 percent respectively during the period under review.
The exports of fruits increased from $338.886 million last year to $335.159 million this year while the exports of vegetables increased from $161.723 million to $223.339 million.
Similarly, the exports of spices increased by 37.77 percent by going up from $44.545 million to $61.368 million while the exports of oil seeds, nuts and kernals increased from $27.485 million to $33.685 million, showing positive growth of 22.56 percent.
The exports of sugar from the country increased by 2372 percent by going up from $19.193 million last year to $474.512 million this year while the exports of meat and meat preparations increased from $156.731 million to $193.855 million, showing growth of 23.69 percent.
The food items that witnessed negative growth in exports during the period under review included rice, exports of which decreased by 7.94 percent from 1.908 billion to $1.756 billion.
Among the rice commodities, exports of basmati decreased by 7.94 percent, from $748.172 million to $580.344 million while the exports of other rice commodities decreased by 22.43 percent from $1.159 billion to $1.176 billion.
During the period under review, the exports of leguminous vegetables pulses) decreased from $9.437 million to $1.568 million, showing negative growth of 83.38 percent while the exports of tobacco decreased from $26.599 million to $22.911 million, showing decline of 13.87 percent.
Exports of wheat decreased by 49.30 percent by going down from $124.198 million to $62.967 million.
Meanwhile, exports of all other food items witnessed increase of 6.88 percent by going up from $796.289 million last year to $851.102 million.
It is pertinent to mention here that overall exports from the country during July-May (2012-13) were recorded at $22.321 billion against the exports of $21.487 billion, showing positive growth of 3.88 percent.
On the other hand, imports into the country slightly went up from $40.933 billion last year to $41.011 billion during the current year, showing increase of 0.19 percent.
Based on the figures, the trade deficit during the eleven months of current fiscal year decreased by 3.89 percent as it went down from the deficit of $19.446 billion last year to $19.690 billion during the current year.
