Food group exports from the country during first six months of current financial year increased by 7.22 percent where as imports of food group decreased by 6.98 percent.
According to the data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), during the period from July-December, 2013 food commodities worth $2.132 billion exported as compared to the exports worth of $1.988 billion during last year.
During the period under review rice exports registered 25.89 percent growth and by going up from $749.827 million during July-December 2012-13 to $943.945 million this year.
Fish and fish preparations exports posted 15.81 percent increase to $181.656 million this year. Whereas during same period of last year the fish and fish preparations exports were recorded at $156.854 million.
Meanwhile, the country’s fresh fruits exports were also surged by 35.95 percent, exports of which were recorded at $205.458 million during July-December 2013-14 whereas during the same period last year the fruit exports were recorded at $151.132 million.
The data revealed that exports of vegetables and leguminous vegetables (pluses) increased by 23.46 percent and 185.60 percent respectively. During the period under review vegetables exports increased from $65.554 million last year to 80.93 million this year.
The leguminous vegetables (pluses) exports during July-December 2013-14 were recorded at 2.776 million as compared to that of $972,000 last year.
Similarly the exports of oil seeds, nuts and kernals also increased by 195 percent by going up from $16.357 million last year to $48.316 million this year, whereas meat and meat preparations exports increased from $119.369 million during the period July-December 2012-13 to $121.989 million during same period this year, thus showing an increase of 2.19 percent.
The commodities which witnessed negative growth in their exports including wheat, exports of which decreased by 82.57 percent, spices exports decreased by 20.06 percent, sugar exports dipped by 24.7 percent while all other food items exports also decreased by 21.32 percent.
On the other hand imports of food commodities in the country during first six months of current financial year went down by 6.98 percent.
The imports of food group during the period under review were recorded at $2.011 billion as compared to that of $2.162 billion during same period of last year.
Import of milk cream and milk food for infants decreased by 6.29 percent and recorded at $68.996 million during last six months as compared to that of $73.627 million last year.
Meanwhile, tea and spices imports also decreased by 26.7 percent and 5.92 percent respectively.
Tea imports went down from $182.743 million to $133.949 million during the period under review where as spices imports went down from $35.851 million to $33.729 million.
Similarly the imports of palm oil declined by 11.47 percent, imports of which were recorded at $906.872 million this year as compared to that of $1.024 billion last year.
The imports of soyabean oil decreased from $44.243 million last year to $32.192 million this year showing a negative growth of 27.24 percent.
