Food exports increase to $5.75bn in July-March

Pakistan’s raw food exports rose 1.62 per cent to $5.75 billion during the first nine months of the current fiscal year compared to $4.66bn a year ago, mainly driven by a significant rise in sugar and basmati rice shipments. Exports have increased for 20 straight months despite unparalleled food inflation in the country’s history. Because of supply and demand imbalances, consumers nationwide pay more for food items, particularly sugar, meat, and poultry. In June 2024, the government announced a policy allowing the export of 150,000 tonnes of sugar, conditional upon maintaining stable retail prices. However, this target was significantly surpassed, with sugar exports reaching 757,779 tonnes by March. According to data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the monthly export figures were as follows: 39,158 tonnes in July, 46,990 tonnes in August, 51,452 tonnes in September, 49,643 tonnes in October, 166,283 tonnes in November, 279,273 tonnes in December, 124,793 tonnes in January, and 180 tonnes in February. However, no sugar exports were reported in March.