Food Imports Surge by 46.77% During Fiscal Year 2023

Islamabad:During the fiscal year 2023, Pakistan has recorded a significant increase of 46.77% in food imports.

According to statistics released by the Bureau of Statistics, food imports amounted to USD 7.37 billion during fiscal year 2023, surpassing USD 5 billion recorded in fiscal year 2022.

In June alone, there was an annual increase of 41.51% in food imports, totaling USD 543.9 million. In comparison, food imports in June of the previous year stood at USD 359.2 million.

Statistics from the Bureau indicate that rice remained at the top of the list of food imports throughout the year, with an increase of 82.94%. During the fiscal year 2023, Pakistan imported 6.018 million metric tons of rice, totaling USD 3.93 billion.

In June, rice imports saw a staggering increase of 106.19%, with 425,000 metric tons of rice imported. June’s rice imports amounted to USD 303.7 million, compared to USD 147.3 million in June of the previous year.

During the fiscal year, Pakistan imported over 935,000 metric tons of fruits, marking a 21.31% increase in fruit imports. Additionally, 1.261 million metric tons of vegetables were exported in fiscal year 2023, showing a 43.20% increase in vegetable imports.

Furthermore, Pakistan imported more than 33,000 metric tons of sugar during the fiscal year, and dry fruit imports reached 248,000 metric tons, showing a staggering increase of 117.18% in dry fruit imports during fiscal year 2023.