ISLAMABAD, Sep 19 (ABC):Different food commodities worth $725.024 million exported from the country during first two months of current financial year (2022-23), where as food items costing $1.783 billion imported as well to tackle with the domestic requirements. Food group exports from the country during first two months of current financial year grew by 9.70 % as compared the exports of the corresponding period of last year as different food commodities worth $725.24 million exported from the country during the period from July-August, 2022 as against the exports of $660.345 million of same period last year.
In last two months the exports of commodities which recorded positive growth included rice 0.73%, fish and fish preparations 52.07%, vegetables 53.12%, pulses 100% and exports of tobacco grew by 97.36% respectively. The commodities that witnessed negative growth in their respective exports including Basmati rice 14.61%, fruits 27.97%, spices 14.03 % , oil seeds and nuts decreased by 40.37%, according the data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. On month on month basis, food group exports from the country during August, 2022 witnessed about 13.13% growth as compared the same month of last year.
In August, 2022, different food commodities valuing $366.945 million exported as compared the exports of $324.349 of same month of last year. Meanwhile, during the period under review, imports of food commodities into the country during first two months of current financial year witnessed about 21.04% increase as compared the same period of last year and country spent an amount of $1.783 billion on the import of food products as against the imports of $1.473 million of same period of last year.
The commodities which recorded increase in their respective imports included wheat 1,787.31%, soya bean oil159.33%, palm oil 24.14% and pulses by 5.97 %. However, the imports of dry fruits decreased by 17.56%, tea 10.86% spices 46.48% and imports of sugar into the country by 97.90 %. During the month of August, 2022 food imports into the country grew by 23.52% and was recorded at $1.020 billion as compared the imports of 826.018 million of same period last year.