Pakistan's meat exports rose by 6.40% in the first half of FY2025-26, even as overall food group export earnings fell sharply compared with the same period last year, according to official data.

Figures released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics show that between July and December 2025 the country exported 59,918 metric tonnes of meat and meat preparations valued at $264.755m. This compares with 58,608 metric tonnes worth $248.859m in the corresponding months of the previous fiscal year.

The increase in meat shipments signals steady demand in external markets. However, broader food exports painted a contrasting picture.

Fish and fish preparations also recorded growth. During the first six months of the current financial year, Pakistan exported 94,978 metric tonnes valued at $218.459m, up from 94,746 metric tonnes generating $201.996m last year. This represents an 8.15% rise in earnings during the period under review.

Fruit exports expanded in both volume and value terms. Outbound shipments reached 322,221 metric tonnes worth $185.103m, compared with 308,667 metric tonnes valued at $169.084m in the same period last year.

Vegetable exports, by contrast, declined significantly in volume and value. The country exported 267,044 metric tonnes worth $82.703m, down from 395,048 metric tonnes valued at $130.859m a year earlier.

Despite gains in meat and seafood, total food group exports during the first half of FY2025-26 were recorded at $2.364bn, markedly lower than $3.959bn in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year.

The data highlight a mixed performance across Pakistan's agri-based export sectors, with increases in meat and fish partially offset by declines in other components, contributing to an overall contraction in food export revenues.