ISLAMABAD: The rice exports from the country during 11 months of current financial year registered 29.15 per cent growth as compared the exports of corresponding period of last year as about 3.842 million metric tons of rice worth US$ 1.889 billion exported.

The exports of the above-mentioned commodity was recorded at 3.889 million metric tons valuing US$ 1.463 billion during the same period of last year, according the data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.

During the period from July-May, 2017-18, 461,472 metric tons of basmati rice worth US$ 478.853 million were exported as against the exports of 406,824 metric tons worth US$ 385.746 of the same period last year.

In last 11 months of the financial year 2017-18, basmati rice exports grew by 24.14 per cent as compared the exports of the corresponding period of last year, the data further added.

Meanwhile, the country earned US$ 1.411 billion by exporting about 3.380 million metric tons of rice other than basmati rice during the period under review as compared the exports of 2.860 million metric tons valuing US$ 1.077 billion of same period last year, it added.

It may be recalled that food group exports during last 11 months of the current financial year witnessed about 30.80 percent growth as different food commodities including rice, fish, fish products, meat, meat preparations, fruits, vegetables pulses and others worth US$ 4.479 billion exported.

The exports of food commodities during the same period of last financial year was recorded at US$ 3.425 billion, the data reveled.

On the other hand, rice exports on month on month basis also witnessed a tremendous increase in the month of May 2018 as compared the same month of last year as it went up by 79.62 per cent and reached at 376,863 metric tons worth US$ 209.898 million.

In last month, exports of basmati rice witnessed 32.83 per cent growth and about 54,061 metric tons of basmati rice valuing US$ 53.384 million exported as compared the exports of 48,571 metric tons worth US$ 40.190 million of the same month of last year.

The exports of rice other than basmati witnessed 104.16 per cent growth during the period under review and about 322,802 metric tons of rice worth US$ 156.514 million exported as against the exports of 173,782 metric tons valuing US$ 76.664 million of same month of last year.