Pakistan earned $21.68 million from the export of fresh onions, shallots, and dried onions during the 2025-26 fiscal year, according to official trade figures available with Wealth Pakistan on Tuesday. The country shipped nearly 109,758 tonnes of produce to international markets during this period.
Fresh onions and shallots were the primary drivers of export revenue, generating $19.79 million from 108,680 tonnes. These items accounted for 91.3% of the total earnings from the two categories. Malaysia was the top buyer of fresh onions and shallots, importing $7.27 million worth of consignments. The United Arab Emirates followed with $4.99 million, and Sri Lanka purchased $3.67 million. These three markets combined for $15.93 million, representing 80.5% of the earnings for fresh onions and shallots.
Other notable destinations for fresh produce included Oman, which imported $1.56 million worth, Singapore at $839,876, and Qatar at $825,249. Together, these six leading markets accounted for 96.8% of the fresh onion and shallot export value.
Dried onions generated $1.90 million from approximately 1,077 tonnes of exports. While they represented a smaller portion of total shipments, dried onions commanded an average unit value of around $1.76 per kilogram, which is significantly higher than the approximately $0.18 per kilogram earned from fresh onions and shallots.
Saudi Arabia was the largest market for dried onions, purchasing $812,428 worth of shipments, or 42.8% of the category's export earnings. Australia followed with $270,001, and the United States imported $251,021. These three destinations accounted for 70.3% of the revenue for dried onions.
The dried onion trade reached several markets outside of Pakistan's traditional fresh produce destinations. The United Kingdom purchased $163,968 worth of dried onions, followed by the UAE at $126,951, Canada at $73,304, and France at $60,791.
The data shows a sharp contrast in markets for fresh versus dried products in certain countries. Pakistan earned $270,001 from dried onion exports to Australia, compared to only $37,729 from fresh onions and shallots. In the United States, dried onion exports generated $251,021, while the fresh category yielded $56,856.
The figures point to two distinct export channels: fresh onions and shallots continue to generate the bulk of foreign exchange through high-volume shipments to Asian and Gulf markets, while dried onions command substantially higher average unit values and reach a more diversified range of destinations. The growing contribution of dried onion exports also highlights the potential importance of value-added agricultural products in diversifying Pakistan’s export earnings beyond traditional fresh produce shipments.
