Pakistan’s raw food exports have witnessed a 1.62% increase on year-on-year basis, reaching $5.75 billion during the first nine months of the current fiscal year, up from $5.66 billion in the same period last year.
This growth was primarily driven by increased exports of sugar and basmati rice, despite high domestic food inflation.
The government’s permission to export 150,000 tons of sugar in June 2024—on the condition that domestic prices remain stable—was significantly exceeded, with total exports hitting 757,779 tons by March. However, no sugar exports were recorded in March 2025.
Rice remained a major contributor, though overall rice export value declined by 5.91% to $2.76 billion. Basmati rice exports saw an 8.78% increase in value to $676.96 million, with volumes rising 21.78% to 663,980 tons. In contrast, non-basmati rice exports dropped by 9.87% in value but rose slightly in quantity.
Also read: ‘We don’t want charity’: Farmers reject Kisan Package, demand fair price
Meat exports posted modest growth of 0.99%, supported by new market access and additional slaughterhouse approvals. However, domestic buffalo meat prices surged from Rs700 to Rs1,600 per kg over the past three and a half years.
Vegetable and fruit exports declined by 17.09% and 5.04%, respectively, while fish and seafood exports registered an 8.15% increase during the same period.
