Fruit, vegetable exports records growth in FY 2014-15

ISLAMABAD (Staff Report) - Fruit and vegetable exports from the country during last financial year (2014-15) increased by 0.85 percent and 11.21 percent respectively compared to the corresponding period of financial year 2013-14.

During the period from July-June 2014-15, fresh fruit exports witnessed and increase of 0.85 percent as compared to same period of last year as bout 706,254 metric tons of fruits worth US$ 439.006 million exported.

According the data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), exports of fruit from the country during financial year 2013-14 was recorded at 784,378 metric tons valuing US$ 435.293 million.

Meanwhile, vegetable exports during the period under review recorded 11.21 percent increase as against same period of last year and reached at 712,524 metric tons costing US$ 232.533 million, it added.

The exports of vegetable from the country during same period of financial 2013-14 was recorded at 568,079 metric tons valuing US$ 209.092 million, the data revealed.

However, during the period from July-June 2014-15, exports of leguminous vegetable (pluses) remained on decreasing track and recorded 100 decrease in its exports as it went down from 3,227 metric tons worth US$ 0.02 million to zero level.

During last financial year country earned US$ 243.529 million by exporting about 74,236 metric tons of meat and meat preparations which was up by 5.92 percent of same period of financial year 2013-14, it added.

During the period from July-June 2014-15 exports of all other food items grew by 4 percent as compared to same period of last year and country earned US$ 790.936 million by exporting food commodities as compared to the last year's exports of US$ 760.513 million, the data revealed.

It may be recalled that country earned over US$4.559 billion by exporting different food commodities including fruits, vegetables, rice and others which was slightly down by 1.42 percent when it compared with the exports of same period of the financial year 2013-14.