Pakistan’s rice exports plunge 49.56% in first half of FY26
Pakistan’s rice exports plunged nearly 50% in H1 FY2025-26, with sharp declines in basmati and IR-6 shipments and zero sugar exports. Overall food exports fell 22%, widening the trade deficit beyond USD 19 billion, highlighting structural weaknesses in Pakistan’s export performance despite rising imports.
Pakistan’s rice exports fell sharply by 49.56% in the first half of fiscal year 2025-26, totaling only USD 405 million, compared to USD 804.86 million during the same period last year.
According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, basmati rice exports during the period under review amounted to USD 170.249 million, down from USD 359.78 million last year, recording a 52.68% decline.
Similarly, IR-6 rice exports dropped to USD 37.24 million from USD 47.7 million last year, a decrease of 21.93%. This year, Pakistan did not export any sugar, whereas sugar exports had fetched USD 145.85 million in the same period last year.
Overall, food exports recorded a 22.06% decline, falling from USD 2.91 billion to USD 2.268 billion. The textile sector also experienced negative growth of 8.56%. In December 2025, major export items included knitwear, ready-made garments, bedwear, other types of rice, cotton cloth, towels, made-up articles, cotton yarn, petroleum products, and meat.
Official data shows that from July to December 2025, Pakistan’s imports totaled USD 34.5 billion, while exports were only USD 15 billion, pushing the trade deficit up by 35.52% to exceed USD 19 billion. This situation highlights the weaknesses in the country’s trade structure, contradicting claims of export-driven growth.
During the six months, food imports amounted to USD 4.63 billion, including sugar, milk, butter, dry fruits, tea, spices, soy, and palm oil. Approximately PKR 9 billion was spent on tea imports. In the same period, imports of smart mobile phones reached nearly USD 1 billion, with mobile accessories also imported in large quantities.
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Source : News
