MULTAN, April 3rd: Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA)'s Data Committee has released the figures of cotton arrival in ginneries till April Ist across the country on Wednesday .Briefing the media men here today Malik Talat Iqbal , Salman Maqbool and Asif Khalil said that that Seed cotton (Phutti) equivalent to over 1,07,72,306 bales of cotton have reached ginneries across Pakistan as of April Ist,showing a decrease of 6.90 per cent compared to corresponding period last year when ginneries received 1,15,71,596 bales. Fortnightly report revealed that 9,662 bales of cotton received during this fortnight. Out of the total arrivals. Ginneries in Punjab recorded arrival of 66,22,913 bales against the last year arrival of 73,17,773 bales showing a decrease of 9.50 per cent. Sindh ginneries recorded arrival of 41,49,393 bales while last year Sindh received 42,53,423 bales 2.45 % less as compared to corresponding period last year.Textile mills have bought 998,60,781 bales while exporters bought 1,02,330 bales. The total bales sold out so far were calculated at 99,63,111 bales. While 8,09,195 bales are lying unsold .Multan received 2,42,612 bales 14.49 % decrease than last year, Lodhran 1,46,610 bales 15.22 % decrease, Khanewal 5,27,357,bales a decrease of 25.69 %, Muzaffargarh 3,32,164 bales a decrease of 12.01 %, Dera Ghazi Khan 4,75,443 an increase of 8.57%, Rajanpur 4,28,681 bales, 4.44 % decrease, Layyah 2,39,090 bales 18.72.% decrease, Vehari 4,44,642 bales 25.22 % decrease, Sahiwal 2,12,934 bales 22.81 % less than last year, Pakpattan 19,439 bales 50.32 % decrease, Okara 12,600 bales- 20.13 % short, Toba Tek Singh 1,61,270 bales, 11.84 % decrease , Faisalabad 34,322 bales 15.44 % less than last year, Jhang 15,755 showing a decrease of 26.13 %, Mianwali 1,08,128 a decrease of 47.56 % , Bhakkar 31,298 (63.22 % less) Rahim yar Khan 11,93,298 ,an increase of 11.24 than last year,Bahawalnagar 10,07,221 bales 1.91 percent less and Bahawalpur 9,90,045 bales 3.39% less. Hyderabad 2,37,077 bales,6.07 % less than preceding year,Mirpur Khas (Thar) 1,22,224,bales 44.79 % less, Sangarh ,12,89,369 bales 6.77 % decrease, Nawabshah 3,84,173 bales (10.30 % increase), Naushero Feroze 3,66,179 bales (2.43 % decrease), Khairpur 3,75,61 (11.12 % increase) Ghotki 4,55,138 (18.14 % increase),Sukkur 6,24,763 (1.30% increase), Dadu 69,036 (0.21 % decrease), Jamshoro 1,03,791 bales (20.23 % less) ,Badeen 4,400 bales 74.62 % less) and Baluchistan 1,17,852 bales (an increase of 0.99%, Total 8 ginning factories are operational in the country.Of them 7 in Punjab and one in Sindh.Total 8,09,195 bales are lying in unsold stock.They told that the data was collected with joint cooperation of PCGA, APTMA and KCA. The Cotton Crop Assessment Committee (CCAC) may revise cotton production estimates to 10.5 million bales of 170kg each for this season, down from earlier projections of 10.87m bales.The predictions dashed all hopes of harvesting a bumper cotton crop in 2018-19.The country’s overall cotton production has deteriorated over the years in turn affecting the gross domestic product. The country’s last bumper cotton crop of 14.9m bales was harvested in 2013-14.Under the revision, production in Sindh is expected to witness a shortfall of merely 0.1 million bales to 0.12m bales. The province produced 4.253m bales in last season. Production estimates for Balochistan were also revised upward to 0.15m, which is lower than the last year’s output. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is expected to produce around 0.02m bales.The country’s cotton production has been under stress during the last four years as country mainly because of adverse effects of climate change and shortage of irrigation water and partly due lack of attention to the declining output from the successive governments.
