MULTAN: Pakistan’s cotton ginners reveal a substantial 81 percent increase in harvested cotton bales this year compared to the previous year. As of November 30, ginning units have processed a total of 7,753,473 bales, a significant rise from the 4,280,500 bales recorded during the same period in the previous year.
Sindh plays a pivotal role in driving this surge, marking an impressive 128 percent increase with over 3.7 million bales produced. Simultaneously, Punjab achieves a 49 percent boost in output, contributing over 4 million bales. However, Punjab falls short of its target, reaching only 44 percent of the initially set goal of approximately 8.3 million bales.
Textile millers have acquired the majority of the harvested cotton, purchasing 6,755,905 bales. Exporters and traders secured 290,626 bales, with nearly 125,000 bales exported.
Despite the positive trend, concerns arise regarding the annual production target. Sajid Mahmood from the Business Club Commodities expresses confidence that while this year’s cotton figures may surpass last year’s, the country is likely to fall short of achieving the annual production target. He projects a potential production range of 18-20 million bales and emphasizes the need for substantial investments in cotton research and development.
Chairman of the Cotton Ginners forum, Ihsanul Haq, attributes the reduced yield to adverse weather conditions and a severe whitefly attack on the crop. Haq suggests aligning Punjab’s cotton year with Sindh’s coastal areas, starting from February-March, to mitigate weather-related challenges during sowing and harvesting. This alignment could potentially result in better-quality cotton, appealing to foreign buyers.
