Vegetable, fruit exports increase by 87.01,16.55 pc

ISLAMABAD: Export of vegetables and fruits from Pakistan registered an increase of 87.01 percent and 16.55 percent, respectively, during the last eleven months of the current financial year.

During the period from July to May 2010-11, about 612,952 metric ton fruits of different varieties worth $26.1 million were exported, said data released by the Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBR).

Whereas fruit export recorded at 446,516 metric tons of US$ 22.4 million during eleven months of last financial year (2009-10) showing an increase of 16.55 percent when it compared with the exports of current year.

Meanwhile, the export of vegetables increased by 87.01 percent during the period under review as about 590,503 metric ton of vegetables exported and earned $ 20.6 million.

The data revealed that about 427,821 metric tons vegetables were exported from July to May 2009-10 and earned dollars of the same period of the last corresponding year.

Country earned $1,973 thousand by exporting leguminous vegetables (pulses) during last eleven months of the year 2010-11.The export of pulses was recorded at only 37 metric tons during the same period of last financial year.

However, rice export from the country observed negative growth as export of the commodity decreased by 0.69 percent as about 3,411,726 metric tons of rice exported in last 11 months of the year under progress as compared to the 3771,986 metric tons of rice during same period of year 2009-10.

The export of basmati rice increased by 9.71 percent as $85.9 million were added in the national forex reserves by exporting the item from the country.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011