Overall food group exports from the country during the period under review witnessed growth of 16.81 as food commodities worth $.932 billion were exported during July-December (2017-18) against the exports of $1.654 billion during July-December (2016-17), the data revealed. The commodities that contributed in overall food trade from the country included rice exports of which grew by 18.32 percent from $712.832 million last year to $843.388 million during the current year. Among rice commodities, the exports of basmati rice increased by 4.52 percent while that of other rice commodities increased by 22.88 percent.
During the period under review the exports of vegetables increased by 6.52 percent as different vegetables worth $62.709 million exported as compared the exports of $ 58.871 million of same period last year, it added. During the period under review, the tobacco exports of the country increased from $3,991 thousand to $ 20.625 million, showing growth of 416.79 percent while the wheat exports witnessed increase of 100 percent by going up from zero to
$0.045 millions export. Meanwhile, exports of oil, seeds, nuts and kernals increased by 10.35 percent from $20.243 million to $22.339 millions while sugar exports also increased from zero exports last year to $181.209 million, showing 100 percent growth. The food products that witnessed negative growth in trade included fruits, exports of which declined from $198.143 million to $ 180.288 million, showing 9.01 decline while the exports of leguminous vegetable (pulses) decreased by 100 percent.
Exports of spices also decreased from $ 37.478 million to $ 36.421 million, showing decrease of 2.82 million while the exports of meat and meat preparations decreased by 6.21 percent, from $104.401 million to $ 97.915 million in the month of December 2017 compared to the same month of last year. The food exports during the month of December 2017 were recorded at $439.285 million against the exports of $334.860 million last December, according to the PBS data.
On month-on-month basis, the food exports from the country also witnessed increase of 4.92 percent in December 2017 when compared to the exports of $418,697 million in November 2017, the data revealed.