Pakistan’s rice exports have experienced a significant increase of 35.40% during the first five months of the current fiscal year (2024-25), compared to the same period last year.
Data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) shows that over 2.377 million metric tons of rice, including basmati and other varieties, were exported between July and November 2024, generating $1.515 billion in revenue. This marks a substantial rise from the 1.721 million metric tons exported during the same period last year, valued at $1.119 billion.
Basmati rice exports saw a growth of 34.64% in volume and value, with 370,282 metric tons exported, earning $386.116 million. During the same period last year, 244,664 metric tons of basmati rice were exported, generating $286.778 million.
Additionally, exports of rice other than basmati reached 2.006 million metric tons, valued at $1.129 billion. This is a notable increase compared to the 1.476 million metric tons exported last year, which earned $832.523 million. The growth rate for non-basmati rice exports stood at 35.67% during this period.
Overall, Pakistan’s food group exports rose by 19.58% during the July-November period of FY 2024-25, totaling $3.155 billion compared to $2.638 billion during the same period in the previous year.
Conversely, food group imports declined by 11.13%, amounting to $2.977 billion compared to $3.350 billion during the same timeframe last year.
These figures highlight Pakistan’s expanding role in the global rice market and improved trade balance in the food sector. The growing demand for basmati and non-basmati rice underscores the quality and competitiveness of Pakistani agricultural exports.
