Rice export increases 8.32pc in five months

ISLAMABAD: Rice exports from the country during first five months of current financial year registered an increase of 8.32 percent as compared to the same period of last year.

During the period from July-November, 2014 about 1,303,644 metric tons of rice worth $738.602 million exported which witnessed an increase of 8.32 percent as compared to the exports of corresponding period of last year.

According the data released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, rice exports during the first five months of last financial year were recorded at 1,160,586 metric tons valuing $681.859 million.

During the period under review, exports of basmati rice grew by 6.01 percent and about 219,428 metric tons of basmati rice worth $ 247.193 million exported as compared to the exports of 214,447 metric tons valuing $233.182 million of same period last year.

From July-November, 2014, exports of others rice also increased by 9.52 percent and reached at 1,084,216 metric tons valuing $491.409 million which was recorded at 946,139 metric tons costing $448.677 million in same period of last year.

Meanwhile, the exports of fish and fish preparations swelled by 0.67 percent as country earned $148.500 million by exporting 58,008 metric tons of fish and fish products. Fish and fish preparations exports during the first five months of last financial year were recorded at 56,457 metric tons costing $147.514 million.

However, the data reveled that overall food exports from the country during last five months remained on down track and decreased by 0.35 percent when it compared with the exports of same period last year.

In first five months of current financial year country managed to earn $1.611 billion by exporting the different food staff which was stood at $ 1.66 billion during the same period of last year.

Meanwhile, the data reveled that on-month on month basis, the food group exports remained on up track an swelled by 21.94 percent in month of November as compared to the exports of the October current year.