Over 6pc increase witnessed in food exports

ISLAMABAD, Feb 2 (APP): Exports of different kinds of food registered 6.18 percent growth during the first half of the current fiscal year as against the same period of last year. The overall food exports during July-December (2010-11) stood at $1.540 billion against the exports of $1.450 billion recorded during July-December (2009-10), according to the data released by the Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS). Food exports during December 2010 grew by 39.61 percent by growing from $239.969 million in November 2010 to $335.014 million. However as compared to the exports of $340.571 million recorded during December last year (2010), the food exports fell by 1.63 percent. The food products that contributed in the positive growth of food exports included rice, exports of which increased by 6.18 percent during the first six months of the current year. Out of rice quantities, basmati exports increased by 7.56 percent whereas exports of other rice commodities increased by 5.83 percent during the period. Similarly, the exports of fish and fish preparations increased by 35.25 percent, vegetables by 10.07 percent, tobacco by 73.38 percent, spices by 15.26 percent, while the exports of meat and meat preparations grew by 54.56 percent. The food items that witnessed negative trend in exports included leguminous vegetables (pulses), exports of which witnessed 100 percent downfall. The exports of fruits decreased by 1.58 percent, wheat by 100 percent, oil, seeds, nuts and kernels by 42.32 percent where as the exports of all other food items decreased by 21.12 percent during the period. On the other hand, the textile exports surged by 25.79 percent during July-December (2010-11), over the same period of last year. Textile exports were recorded at over US$6.284 billion during the first half of current year against the exports of $4.995 billion during July-December (2009-10).