Pakistan is facing a sharp increase in its food trade deficit during the first nine months of fiscal year 2026, as imports continue to rise while exports decline significantly.
According to data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, food imports increased by 15.22 percent to $7.09 billion, compared to $6.15 billion last year.
This rise was mainly driven by higher imports of sugar, palm oil, and other essential food items to maintain supply and control prices in local markets.
At the same time, exports of raw food commodities dropped by 33.90 percent to $3.80 billion, down from $5.75 billion in the same period last year.
The biggest decline was seen in rice exports, including both basmati and non-basmati varieties. Vegetable exports also fell sharply, while spices and tobacco showed weaker performance.
However, some sectors showed slight improvement. Fish exports recorded modest growth, while fruit and meat exports saw small increases, making them relatively stable compared to other categories.
On the import side, palm oil remained the largest item, followed by pulses, tea, and sugar.
Sugar imports saw a massive jump due to local shortages, increasing to over 308,000 tonnes from just a few thousand tonnes last year. Prices of sugar also remained unstable in local markets.
Experts say the growing gap between imports and exports shows increasing reliance on foreign food supplies.
This trend is mainly due to local production challenges and inconsistent agricultural output, especially in essential food items.