Low international prices have pulled down sea food export by $2.314 million during the outgoing fiscal year 2012-13 to $317.612 million, exporters say. Pakistan exported about 10 percent more seafood in terms of quantity in the last fiscal year but at the reduced rates, according to the exporters.
The country’s export had been $319.926 million during the fiscal year 2011-12, which fell to $317.612 million in the outgoing fiscal year 2012-13 for lack of good price offers on the world markets. “At least $2 per kg on the cuttlefish, which is one of the country’s prime seafood export items, pushed the overall seafood export by $2.314 million,” said CEO, Akhlaq Enterprise (Pvt) Ltd, Akhlaq Hussain Abedi.
Pakistan managed to export seafood of $317.612 million to the world markets in the last fiscal year 2012-13 as compared to the commodity’s export of $319.926 million in the fiscal year 2011-12, showing a fall of one percent or $2.314 million, said Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). “Mainly China has slowed down its imports from Pakistan with reduced prices for cuttlefish which have impact on the overall seafood export,” Abedi maintained.
In terms of volume, the country seafood export stood 10 percent higher at 144,148 tons last fiscal year as compared to the commodity export of 131,624 tons during fiscal year 2011-12, indicating a rise of 10 percent or 12.524 tons, says the PBS. Abedi said, “Despite the EU seafood export resumption, the country total trade of fish and shrimp could not improve. I am going to dispatch the fourth consignment of seafood to EU but I am still the only exporter to do trade with the 27 nation bloc.”
At present, export to China which are mainly cuttlefish, squid and shrimp from Pakistan is at halt, he said, adding that shrimp export to Middle Eastern countries are, however, taking place unrestricted. “Mainly POD shrimps the Arab World has appeal for,” he said.
