High production in the two most sought-after crops (onions and potatoes) has resulted in an all-time high vegetable export of 1.395 million tonnes ($353m) in July-May FY25, breaking the record of 1.336m tonnes ($300m) achieved in the full fiscal year of FY23.

However, higher exports could not fetch a handsome foreign exchange in 11MFY25 compared to the 1.192m tonnes that earned $409m in the same period last fiscal. The average per tonne price in the above period has plunged to $253 from $343.

Vegetable exports from FY18 to FY24 remained in the range of $234m to $430m based on the quantity hovering between 825,257 tonnes and 1.336m tonnes. Pakistan’s vegetable exports are mainly led by potato and onion via sea trade in containers and by roads, while green vegetables like carrot, green chillies, bitter gourd, sweet gourd, apple gourd and lady finger are shipped via air.

Consumers witness a steep price fluctuation in the main staple food items owing to low/high production and the rise and fall in exports. The import of onions is undertaken when supplies from the local crops face any serious production issues. Much also depends on the international rates of onion. We’ve........

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