Rice drives raw food exports to $4.6bn

Pakistan’s raw food exports rose 8.17 per cent to $4.62 billion during the first seven months of the current fiscal year compared to $4.26bn in the corresponding period last year, mainly driven by a significant rise in rice shipments. The exports have risen for 18 consecutive months despite unprecedented food inflation in the country’s history. As a result, consumers nationwide are paying higher prices for food items because of supply and demand gaps. Official figures compiled by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics showed that rice has significantly boosted overall food exports.