According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the country’s exports of meat and meat products climbed by 18.82% during the first seven months of the current fiscal year compared to exports during the same period of the previous year. Around 50,759 metric tonnes of meat and meat products worth $228.212 million were exported from July through January 2022–2023 compared to 43,765 metric tonnes worth $191.967 million during the same period in the previous year.

About 107,908 metric tonnes of fish and fish preparation worth $261.645 million were exported during the reviewed period against 85,830 metric tonnes worth $231.584 million during the same time last year, the PBS said. Compared to the same period in the previous year, fish and fish preparation exports increased by 12.28% throughout the last seven months of the fiscal year.

Although the country earned $192.809 million by exporting roughly 443,380 metric tonnes of fruits and $166.703 million by shipping 663,804 million tonnes of vegetables, the exports of fruits and vegetables both decreased by 39.78% and 0.77%, respectively. In comparison to the same period last year, the country's food exports during the first seven months of the current fiscal year declined by 8.24%, while imports increased by 6.29%.

Comparing the exports and imports of the same time last year, different food items valued at $2.708 billion were exported and $5.983 billion were imported from July to January 2022–2023. Food group imports into the country during the first seven months of the previous fiscal year were valued at $5.629 billion, while food items worth 2.951 billion were exported during the same period. Food group exports fell by 18.43% on an annual basis in January 2023 from $470.821 million in the same month of the previous year to $384.056 million, the PBS said.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk