Pakistan’s Sugar Exports to Afghanistan See Astonishing 3,473% Surge
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s sugar exports to Afghanistan have surged by an extraordinary 3,473% in the first half of the fiscal year 2024-25.
This dramatic growth has positioned sugar as the top contributor to Pakistan’s exports to Afghanistan, with exports skyrocketing from $5.9 million during the same period in 2023 to $211.8 million in 2024.
Overall exports from Pakistan to Afghanistan also experienced a significant rise of 52%, reaching $753.8 million in the first six months of FY 2024-25, compared to $495.2 million in 2023.
In December 2024 alone, exports to Afghanistan increased by 103% year-over-year and 36% month-over-month, amounting to $175.1 million compared to $86 million in December 2023 and $129 million in November 2024.
A key driver behind this surge was the federal cabinet’s October 2024 decision to approve the export of an additional 500,000 metric tons of sugar.
To maintain price stability and ensure domestic supply, the cabinet imposed conditions such as setting the retail sugar price at Rs145.15 per kilogram and mandating regular monitoring by the Sugar Advisory Board and provincial authorities.
The cabinet emphasized that exports would be halted immediately if domestic prices exceeded the set benchmark. Mill owners were also instructed to keep the ex-mill sugar price below Rs140 per kilogram.
The State Bank of Pakistan has been tasked with reporting the status of sugar exports to the Economic Coordination Committee every 15 days.
Since June 2024, a total of 750,000 metric tons of sugar exports have been approved, according to sources.
