Pakistan Food Exports Shipments rise 25.31% as rice sales drive growth

Pakistan’s raw food exports rose by 25.31% in the first quarter of the current fiscal year, largely driven by a sharp increase in rice shipments, according to data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

Food exports reached $1.388 billion in July-September 2026, up from $1.108 billion in the same period last year. The growth followed a steep decline in food exports during the previous fiscal year.

In FY2025-26, exports of raw food products fell by 29.49% to $5.017 billion from $7.116 billion a year earlier.

Food imports, meanwhile, grew at a slower pace. The import bill rose by 3.44% to $2.330 billion in the first quarter of FY2026-27, compared with $2.252 billion in the corresponding period last year.

The government has approved plans to import wheat to address shortfalls in domestic production. Pakistan’s food import bill increased by 11.66% in FY2025-26, reaching $9.150 billion against $8.195 billion in the preceding fiscal year.

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Rice remained the main driver of export growth during the July-September period, while meat, fish, tobacco and spices also recorded increases.

Rice export value surged by 55.89% in the first quarter. Basmati rice exports rose by 86.28%, while non-basmati rice exports increased by 39.20%.

Export volumes also recorded substantial gains. Basmati rice shipments increased by 80.21% in quantity, while non-basmati shipments rose by 43.55%.

To support the sector, the Ministry of Commerce extended the rice export subsidy scheme for another three months, until September 30. It also increased the Duty Drawback of Local Taxes and Levies rate for non-basmati rice exporters facing weaker international demand.

Meat exports grew by 21.09% year on year during the quarter, while fish product exports increased by 14.61%.

Tobacco exports rose by 44.21%, and spice exports grew by 18.94%. However, several other food categories recorded declines.

Vegetable exports fell by 20.48%, while fruit exports dropped by 30.62%, marking some of the sharpest declines among major food export categories.

On the import side, palm oil accounted for the largest share of Pakistan’s food imports, followed by pulses, tea and soybean oil.

Palm oil import value declined by 2.30% during the first quarter, while import volumes fell by 13.75%. Pulse imports also decreased, dropping by 12.07% in July-September. Soybean oil imports remained negligible.

In contrast, imports of several other food products increased. The import bill for other food items rose by 24.19%, tea imports increased by 25.54%, and milk product imports grew by 2.80%.

The latest figures show that stronger rice shipments helped Pakistan’s food exports recover in the first quarter, although declining exports of vegetables and fruits continued to weigh on several other categories.