ISLAMABAD Due mostly to an increase in rice shipments, Pakistan’s raw food exports jumped 13.83% to $3.96 billion from July to December 2024–25 from $3.48 billion during the same period the previous year.
Despite record-breaking food prices, food exports have increased over the last 17 months. As a result of supply and demand imbalances, customers are paying higher costs.
The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics’ official data revealed that increased rice shipments greatly increased food exports. The value of rice exports increased by 14.50 percent year over year to $1.87 billion in the first half of FY25.
The value of basmati rice rose 18.06 percent to $433.82 million, while its quantity jumped 30.62 percent to 416,491 tons annually. Non-basmati rice exports increased 17.35 percent in quantity to 2.643 million tons and 13.47 percent in value to $1.44 billion.
The emergence of new markets for Pakistani rice, including Bangladesh, highlighted the industry’s potential for expansion. A significant portion of Pakistan’s exports, particularly to the UK and the EU, come from the rice industry.
The average price of basmati rice has increased from Rs150 to Rs400 per kg over the last two years due to consistent export growth, which has limited local customers’ purchasing power.
Sugar shipments increased to 632,804 tonnes in the first half of this year from 33,101 tonnes in the same period last year.
In comparison to the same period last year, meat exports rose 3.64 percent in 6MFY25. This expansion has been facilitated by the opening of new markets, the involvement of new businesses in meat exports, and the authorization of more slaughterhouses.
In recent years, the domestic meat industry has experienced an unheard-of spike in costs. The average price of buffalo meat has increased from Rs700 per kg to Rs1,400 during the last three and a half years.
Vegetable exports, particularly onions, increased 1.71 percent between July and December. Fruit exports decreased by 1.32 percent. Fish and fish products exports have grown by a pitiful 1.47 percent.
