KARACHI / ISLAMABAD    -    For the first time in the country’s history, the export of onions from Pakistan has exceeded 210 million dollars, while by the end of this year, the said export will reach 250 million dollars, which is a record.

The spokesperson of Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association said that for the first time in the country’s history, the export of onions has reached a record level, which is the highest in the history of any product including fruits and vegetables.

According to the spokesman, from July 2023 to April 2024, the export of onion from the country was recorded at more than 210 million dollars, while earlier in the history of the country, there were only more exports of orange, which was 210 million dollars. He stated that by the end of this year, the export of onions will reach 250 million dollars.

According to the statement, due to the ban on the export of Indian onions, Pakistan has got new markets and now Pakistani onions have gained access to the major markets of the world, including the Far East and the Middle East.

He added that even in the top stores of the world, Pakistani onions are available for sale today. The government has to take immediate steps to increase the shelf life of onions as new markets for Pakistani onions may develop in the coming times.

Fruits exports up by 17.85 percent to $274.22m

The exports of fruits surged by 17.85 percent during the first ten months of the current fiscal year as compared to the corresponding period of last year. According to latest data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the exports of fruits were recorded at $274.227 million during July-April (2023-24) as compared to the exports of $232.700 million during July-April (2022-23).

On year-on-year basis, the exports of fruits increased by 29.32 percent during the month of April 2024. The fruit exports during the month stood at $8.161 million as compared to the exports of $6.311 million in April 2023. On month-on-month basis, the exports however decreased by 58.51 percent in April 2024 when compared to the exports of $19.629 million in March 2024, according to PBS data. It is pertinent to mention here that the overall merchandize exports from the country witnessed an increase of 9.10 percent during the first ten months of the current fiscal year (2023-24) as compared to the corresponding period of last year.

The exports during July-April (2023-24) were recorded at $25.280 billion against the exports of $23.171 billion, according to latest PBS data. On the other hand, imports into the country declined by 4.09 percent to $44.794 billion this year against the imports of $46.706 billion last year. Based on the figures, the trade deficit during the first 10 months of the current fiscal year was recorded at $19.514 billion against the deficit of $23.535 billion last year, showing a decline of 17.09 percent.