ISLAMABAD   -  Pakistan earned $12,444.820 million from exports of textile products during the first nine months of the current financial year (2023-24), the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported here.

The exports of the textile products however, witnessed a nominal decline of 0.25 percent during July-March (2023-24) as against the exports of $ 12,476.444 million during July-March (2022-23).

The textile commodities that witnessed positive trade growth included raw cotton, the exports of which grew by 331.88 percent, from $12.987 million last year to $56.086 million this year.

Likewise, the exports of cotton yarn increased by 38.17 percent, from $573.084 million last year to $ 791.808 million this year and bed wear by 2.78 percent, from $ 2,031,740 million to $ 2,088,267 million.

The export of towels also surged by 5.17 percent from $745.288 million to $783.799 million whereas the export of made-up articles went up by 0.17 percent to $535.662 million from $534.764 million.

The textile commodities that witnessed negative growth included cotton cloth, exports of which declined by 7.49 percent, from $1,538.032 million to $1,422.882 million; cotton carded or combed by 24.50 percent, from $0.996 million to $0.752 million; yarn other than cotton yarn by 19.15 percent, from $32.917 million to $26.613 million, and knitwear by 4.43 percent, from $ 3,390.332 million to $ 3,240.272 million.

Likewise, the exports of tents, canvas and tarpaulin decreased by 15.09 percent, from $102.766 million to $87.254 million, ready-made garments by 2.27 percent, from $2,657.265 million to $ 2,596.926 million.

The exports of art, silk and synthetic textiles also decreased by 11.56 percent, declining from $309.432 million to $273.659 million, whereas the exports of all other textile materials also went down by 1.10 percent, from $546.841 million to $540.839 million.

Meanwhile, on a year–on–year basis, the textile exports increased by 3.29 percent, going up from $ 1,257.799 million in March 2023 to $1,299.173 million in March 2024.

On a month-on-month basis, the textile exports, however, decreased by 7.67 percent when compared to the exports of $1,407.105 million in February 2024.

Meanwhile, food group exports from the country during the first nine months of the current financial year (2023-24) increased by 48.17 per cent as compared to the exports of the corresponding period of last year.

During the period from July-March, 2023-24, food commodities valued at $5.651 billion were exported as against the exports of $3.814 billion in the same period of the last year, according to the data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.

During the period under review, rice exports increased by 83.37 per cent and over 4.550 million tons of rice worth $2.930 billion was exported as compared to the exports of 2.939 million tons valued at $1.598 billion in the same period of last year, it added.

Meanwhile, the exports of fruits grew by 17.34 per cent and vegetables by 42.79 per cent as 782,155 metric tons of fruits and 906,836 metric tons of vegetables valued at $265.655 million and $94.896 were exported during the period under review, the data revealed.

Similarly, the exports of tobacco increased by 19.99 per cent and spices by 19.90 per cent respectively as 16,968 metric tons of tobacco worth $61.576 million and 29,011 metric tons of spices valued at $87.297 million were exported during nine months of the current financial year.

The exports of oil seed and nuts grew by 131.60 per cent, whereas exports of sugar decreased by 74.63 per cent as compared to the exports of the same period of last year, it added.

The country earned $386.928 million by exporting about 93,508 metric tons of meat and meat products as the exports of meat and meat preparations grew by 28.24 per cent during the period under review.

Meanwhile, on a year–on–year basis, the food group exports increased by 16.35 percent going up from $ 588.759 million in March 2023 to $ 685.025 million in March 2024. On a month-on-month basis, the textile exports, however, decreased by 2.36 percent when compared to the exports of $ 701.565 million in February 2024.