Pakistan’s rice exports observed a notable drop in revenue in FY25 on account of a sharp decline in international prices, showed data released by Optimus Capital Management on Monday.
As per the brokerage house, the country’s total rice exports stood at 5.8 million metric tons (MMT) in FY25, down by a modest 3.7% compared to 6MMT in the previous year.
But the picture was less rosy on the revenue front. Total rice export earnings registered a significant decline of 14.7% year-on-year, slipping to $3.36 billion in FY25 from $3.93 billion in FY24.
The decline was largely attributed to falling global prices, particularly for non-basmati varieties, which account for over 85% of Pakistan’s rice exports.
Basmati rice saw a marginal increase of 3% in export volume, reaching 797,000 tons. However, earnings from basmati fell 5.2% to $832 million, as compared to $877 million in F24.
The decline comes as average prices decreased nearly 9.1% year-on-year to Rs291.6 per kilogram in FY25, as compared to Rs320.8 per kilogram, according to the data.
Meanwhile, exports of other rice varieties dropped 4.7% in volume and 17.4% in value, reflecting both weaker demand and intense pricing pressure in key markets. The non-basmati rice exports fetched $2.52 billion in FY25, as compared to $3.05 billion in FY24.
In monthly terms, June 2025 saw a sharp drop in rice exports, with shipments down 40.6% month-on-month and 37.1% compared to June 2024.
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Export revenues stood at $150 million in June 2025, declining over 50% year-on-year and 37.4% month-on-month.
Meanwhile, rice exports’ share in Pakistan’s overall exports declined to 10.5% in FY25 from 12.8% in the previous fiscal.
Despite the revenue setbacks, Pakistan’s rice sector continues to play a vital role in the country’s foreign exchange earnings.
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