ISLAMABAD, Sept 23 (INP): The country earned US$ 512.321 million by exporting different food commodities during the first two months of current financial year as compared the earnings of the corresponding period of last year. During the period from July-August 2017, food group exports from the country increased by 30.6 percent as compared the exports of the same period of last year. According the data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics during last two months exports of rice grew by 40 percent as around 428,993 metric tons of rice worth US$ 223.937 million exported. The rice export during first two months of last financial year was recorded at 3810,861 metric tons valuing US$ 159.543 million, it added. Meanwhile, the exports of basmati rice grew by 10.35 percent and about 59,433 metric tons of basmati rice worth US$ 62.741 million exported as compared the exports of 59,192 metric tons valuing US$ 56.857 million of same period last year. The exports of rice other then basmati also witnessed an increase of 58.98 percent, around 369.580 metric tons of rice costing US$ 161.198 million exported as compared to the exports of 251,669 metric tons worth US$ 102.888 million of last year. From July-August, 2017-18, fruit and vegetable exports increased by 8.74 percent and reached at 56,280 metric tons worth of US$ 20.583 million as against the exports of 73,751 metric tons of US$ 18.888 million of same period last year, it added The other commodities which witnessed increase in their exports during the period under review included fish and fish production by 19.63 percent, wheat and sugar 100 percent respectively, oil seeds, nuts, tobacco and spices It may be recalled here that imports of the food commodities into the country also witnessed an increase of 27.18 percent and about US$ 1.123 billion was spent on the import of different food items to fulfill the domestic requirements. INP/K/SB