By Azeem Ahmed Khan

Pakistan’s food exports recorded a sharp decline of nearly 30% in March 2026 compared to a year earlier, mainly due to a significant drop in rice shipments, according to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.

The total value of food exports fell to Rs113.34 billion ($406.0 million) in March 2026, down from Rs161.38 billion ($576.2 million) in March 2025, highlighting a steep contraction in the country’s key export segment. On a month-on-month basis, exports remained largely flat compared to Rs113.49 billion recorded in February.

Rice, the largest contributor to food exports, showed a notable year-on-year decline. The country exported 434,165 tonnes of rice worth Rs56.48 billion ($202.4 million) in March, compared to 509,750 tonnes valued at Rs76.84 billion in the same month last year.

Within the category, basmati rice exports dropped sharply to 49,149 tonnes, valued at Rs13.37 billion, down from 70,717 tonnes worth Rs21.57 billion a year earlier. Non-basmati rice exports also declined annually, though they improved compared to February this year.

Other major categories also recorded declines compared to March 2025. Fruit exports fell to Rs2.43 billion from Rs4.35 billion, while vegetable exports dropped significantly to Rs3.03 billion from Rs14.85 billion, indicating a steep fall in shipments.

Meat and meat preparations exports decreased to Rs10.01 billion, down from Rs14.70 billion a year earlier, while spices exports also declined to Rs1.27 billion from Rs2.58 billion.

However, some sectors showed resilience. Fish and fish preparations exports stood at Rs14.82 billion, slightly lower than Rs16.61 billion last year but significantly higher than February levels, indicating a recovery in the short term.

Tobacco exports declined to Rs4.64 billion in March 2026 from Rs5.46 billion a year earlier, while oil seeds, nuts and kernels recorded strong growth, increasing to Rs8.59 billion from Rs4.87 billion.

Overall, the data points to a broad-based decline in food exports on a yearly basis, with rice, fruits and vegetables driving the downturn, despite some recovery in select categories on a monthly basis.

Credit: INP-WealthPk