Fozia Azam

The country's food category exports saw a fall of around 1.03%, while imports rose by 1.63% in the first five months of the current fiscal year (2022-23) compared with the same period of the previous year. According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), food commodities worth $1.927 billion were exported between July and November of this year as opposed to $1.947 billion during the same period last year, while food commodities worth $4.080 billion were imported as opposed to $4.015 billion during the same period last year.

About 1.393 million metric tonnes of rice worth $749.404 million were exported during the first five months of the current fiscal year, compared to 1.585 million metric tonnes worth $826.508 million shipped during the same period of the previous year.Around 71,659 metric tonnes of fish and fish preparations were exported against 56,731 metric tonnes worth  $150.502 million during the same period last year. Exports of meat and meat products totalled 34,340 metric tonnes worth $161.310 million as opposed to 30,877 metric tonnes worth $133.714 million during the same time last year.

On the other hand, imports of food goods into the country, such as milk, cream, and food for infants, increased by 11.37%; 17,889 metric tonnes of these products were imported at a cost of $64.155 million as opposed to 17,164 metric tonnes at a cost of $57.603 million during the same period the previous year.In comparison to the imports of 1.023 million metric tonnes of wheat valued at $340.069 million during the same period the previous year, around 1.009 million tonnes of wheat valued at $450.556 million were also imported to meet local demands from July to November 2022. In comparison to the imports of $43.095 million and $1.527 billion during the same period last year, the country spent $144.094 million and $1.334 billion, respectively, on soyabean oil and palm oil, in the first five months of the current fiscal year.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk