ISLAMABAD - The food exports from the country witnessed negative growth of 2.4 percent by going down to $3348.144 million during the first three quarters of the ongoing fiscal year compared to the exports of $3430.346 billion during the corresponding period of fiscal year 2017-18, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported.
The food commodities that contributed in negative growth of food group trade included, rice, exports of which slipped by 0.48 percent, from $1494.667 million during July-March (2017-18) against the exports of $1487.510 million during July-March (2018-19). The exports of fish and fish preparations also decreased from $315.614 million to $293.887 million, showing decline of 6.88 percent during the period under review while the exports of vegetables decreased by 2.48 percent, from $172.623 million to $168.338 million.
Tobacco exports decreased by 24.72 percent, from $23.745 million to $17.875 million whereas the exports of sugar also decreased by 68.20 percent, from $362.043 last year to $115.130 million during the current fiscal year. The exports of meat and meat preparations also decreased by 1.42 percent during the period under review by slipping from $159.166 million to $156.901 million, the PBS data revealed.
Rice exports slip from $1,495m to $1488m
Meanwhile, the food products that witnessed positive growth in external trade included fruits, exports of which increase by 8.66 percent to $369.225 million from $339.814 million whereas the wheat exports increased by 104..11 percent, from $59.710 million to $121.872 million.