Pakistan’s rice exports decline by 15% in ongoing fiscal year

Pakistan’s rice export earnings dropped by 14.7% to $3.36 billion in FY25, following a 3.7% decrease in export volume to 5.8 million metric tons, according to the latest data.

According to Optimus Capital Management, non-basmati rice makes up over 85 percent of the country’s total rice exports. During FY25, basmati rice exports increased slightly by 3 percent in volume, reaching 797,000 tons. However, the earnings from basmati fell by 5.2 percent to 832 million dollars, down from 877 million dollars in FY24.

Non-basmati rice exports were hit harder. Their volume dropped by 4.7 percent, while the export value declined by 17.4 percent to 2.52 billion dollars, compared to 3.05 billion dollars last year. The average export price for rice also decreased by 9.1 percent, falling to Rs291.6 per kg in FY25, compared to Rs320.8 per kg in the previous year. Rice exports saw a major decline in June 2025. On a month-to-month basis, exports dropped by 40.6 percent, while compared to June 2024, the drop was 37.1 percent. The revenue generated in June fell by more than half, totaling only 150 million dollars.

As a result, the overall share of rice in Pakistan’s total exports reduced from 12.8 percent in FY24 to 10.5 percent in FY25. Experts say the fall in international rice prices is affecting Pakistan’s earnings, especially in the non-basmati category, which is the country’s main export. This situation could impact the agricultural economy and overall export revenue if global prices don’t recover soon.