Pakistan exported fruits and vegetables worth $133.456 million during the first five months (July-Nov) of the current Financial Year 2022-23 compared with the exports in the corresponding period of the last financial year, reports WealthPK. Vegetable exports during the period under review grew by 20.86 percent, whereas fruit exports decreased by 37.24 percent compared to the exports in the corresponding period of the last financial year, according the data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). About 423,489 metric tons of vegetables worth $121.976 million were exported during the five months as against 278,244 metric tons valuing $100.926 million in the corresponding period of the last financial year.

However, the fresh fruit exports during the period under review decreased by 37.24 percent, as about 187,744 metric tons of fruits worth $111.480 million were exported as against 211,640 metric tons valuing $177.631 million in the same period of the last financial year. In the last five months, about 48 metric tons of leguminous vegetables worth $47,000 were exported, which posted 100 percent growth compared to the exports in the same period of the last year.

On the other hand, $185.952 million was earned by exporting about 71,659 metric tons of fish and fish preparations in the first months of the current financial year as against $150.502 million worth of exports of 56,731 metric tons in the corresponding period of the last financial year. During the period under review, exports of meat and meat products grew by 20.64 percent, as about 34,340 metric tons of the above-mentioned commodities worth $161.310 million were exported compared with 30,870 metric tons valuing 133.714 million in the same period of the last year.

Overall, food group exports during the first five months of the current financial year witnessed about 1.03 percent decrease, whereas imports increased by 1.63 percent compared to the corresponding period of the last financial year. During the five months of the current financial year, exports of different food products was worth $1.927 billion compared to $1.947 billion in the same period of the last year, whereas food commodities worth $4.080 billion were imported as against $4.015 billion in the corresponding period of the last financial year.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk