ISLAMABAD   -   About 838,770 metric tonnes of rice valuing $499.485 million exported during first four months of the current financial year as compared the exports of 1,176,228 metric tonnes worth $ 633.797 million of the corresponding period of last year. According to the data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, rice exports from the country during the period from July-October, 2020-21 decreased by 21.19 per cent as compared to the exports of the same period of last year. During the period under review about 170,729 metric tonnes of  Basmati rice worth $168.745 million exported as against the exports of 283,458 metric tonnes valuing  259.099 million of the same period of last year. The exports of basmati rice during the period under review reduced by 34.87per cent as compared the exports of the same period of last year, the data revelled. However, during last four months, exports of vegetable grew by 20.16per cent as about 156,286 metric tonnes of vegetables worth $66.554 million exported, which was recorded at 197,596 metric tonnes valuing $55.386 million of the same period of last year. During the period from July-September, 2020-21, exports of meat and meat preparation registered a growth of 5.83 per cent as 30,403 metric tonnes of meat and meat products worth of $102.968 million exported as compared the exports of 25,442 metric tonnes valuing $ 97.300 million of the same period of last year, it added. It is worth mentioning here that in last four months of current financial year food group imports into the country grew by 43.49 per cent as different food commodities costing $ 2.272 billion imported as against the imports of 1.583 billion of the same period of last year. On the other hand, food group exports from the country during the period review went down by 16.77 per cent as it was recorded at $ 1.331 billion from July-October, 2020 as compared to $ 1.359 billion of the corresponding period of last year.