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This report outlines Pakistan’s requirements for import permits and export certificates for various food products for human and animal consumption. It also provides a list of the Pakistani government agencies involved in the entry of imported food products.

No significant changes are made to 2023/24 rice and wheat supply and demand forecasts. Private sector wheat import commitments of about 1.4 million tons underpin the 2 million ton 2023/24 wheat import forecast.

Pakistan is the 24th largest export market for U.S. food and agricultural-related products, with U.S. exports surpassing $1.37 billion in 2022. The top U.S. exports to Pakistan were cotton, soybeans, pulses, tree nuts, dairy products, planting seeds, dairy cattle, and forestry products.

On 24 November, the Federal Cabinet approved amendments to the National Biosafety Rules, which should enable genetically engineered soybean imports to resume in the first half of calendar year 2024. As a result, the 2023/24 soybean import forecast is...

No significant changes are made to the cotton supply and demand outlook. The 2023/24 cotton production forecast is unchanged at 6.5 million bales, total use is 10 million bales, and the import forecast remains 4.2 million bales.

The Department of Plant Protection (DPP) stopped imports of genetically engineered (GE) soybeans and canola in late October 2022. DPP said that importers needed an import license from the Ministry of Climate Change (MOCC).

Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are a legume full of protein, fiber, complex carbohydrates, and are relatively low in calories. Chickpeas are used in many Indian and Mediterranean dishes. Australia, India, and Canada are the top three chickpea exporters accounting for more than 40 percent of the world’s exports in 2022. Pakistan is the largest importer, followed by the European Union, Bangladesh, and Turkey.

Peas, beans, and lentils are staple protein sources in the Pakistani diet. Eaten with either flat bread (daal-roti) or rice (daal-chaawal), the demand for these pulses is growing as inflation leads consumers to search for alternatives to animal protein.

Based on the export pace through the first 10 months of the year, the 2022/23 rice export estimate is reduced from 3.7 to 3.4 million tons.

The 2023/24 harvested area estimate is increased slightly based on information collected during recent field travel.

Based on the Government of Pakistan’s (GOP) first official assessment, the 2023/24 wheat production forecast is increased to a record 28.0 million tons.

Sugar production in 2023/24 is forecast at 7.05 million tons, three percent above the 2022/23 estimate. The marginal increase is due to expectations for a recovery in cane area harvested compared to the flood-damaged 2022/23 crop.