ISLAMABAD: Over 3.198 million metric tons of rice worth $1.794 billion were exported during the 10 months of the current financial year as compared to the exports of 3.526 million metric tons worth $1.817 billion of the corresponding period of last year.
During the period from July-April, 2020-21, exports of rice witnessed about a 3.69 percent decline as compared to the exports of the same period of last year.
According to the data of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, about 514,453 metric tons of Basmati rice valuing $475.100 million also exported during the period under review as against the exports of 741,417 metric tons worth $661.011 million of the same period last year.
However, local exports of rice other than Basmati during the period under review grew by 10.28 percent as the country managed to fetch $1.274 billion by exporting rice.
Over 2.6 million tons of rice of other verities valuing $1.274 billion exported during last ten months of the current financial year as compared the exports of 2.785 million tons valuing $1.156 billion of the same period of last year.
It may be recalled here that rice is among the major cash crop of the country and an important component of exports earnings, besides the local output of rice during the last season had witnessed significant growth of 13.6 percent.
During the last 10 months of the current financial year exports of local food, the group witnessed a nominal reduction of 0.42 percent as it was recorded at $3.718 billion as compared to the exports of $3.734 billion of the same period of last year.
