MULTAN: The arrival of fresh cotton crop at ginning factories is showing a surge to the tune of 101.65 percent.
According to official statistics, ginning units received 1,938, 945 more bales during the current cotton crop season in comparison to the same corresponding period of last year. Some 3,846, 463 bales of Phutti have arrived at ginning factories in Punjab and Sindh until October 1 whereas last year the ginning factories had received 1,970, 518 bales.
The Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association has termed the increase in Phuthi arrival the result of favorable weather and early crop sowing. The pest attack remained aggressive during the whole season. The PCGA was expecting 7 to 7.5 million bales instead of nine million bales due to uncontrolled attack.
The increase in cotton arrival would accelerate business activities in many sectors. Automobile reports have confirmed a sizable increase in tractor production due to hopeful prospects of crop that would encourage agriculture disbursement.
The statistics have demonstrated that the ginning factories in Punjab and Sindh have received almost double the arrival than the last year. The quantum increase in arrival has jumped to 103.3pc in Punjab. Similarly, Sindh ginning factories have received 2,350, 585 bales of Phuthi while the factories received 1,170,758 bales last year with 100.77pc increase rate.
The countrywide ginning factories have ginned 3,423, 329 bales from 3,846, 463 bales of Phuthi at 556 operational factories while exporters have purchased 3,600 bales of lint cotton. The textile sector has purchased 3,330, 500 bales of lint cotton. However, the Trading Corporation of Pakistan could not purchase a single bale.
Cotton arrival statistics in nine districts in South Punjab out of eleven have shown 100 per cent arrival until October 1 compared to the same corresponding period of last year. The Lodhran district has shown 684.71pc increase in arrival, Bahawalpur district 338.50 pc, Bhakkar 220 pc, Multan district 199.26 pc increase in arrival, Bahawalnagar 170. 31 pc increase and Layyah 141 pc.
Five districts have shown poor increase in Phuthi arrival at ginning factories across Punjab. The Vehari district is home to cotton but only 4.6pc increase in crop arrival is witnessed, Sahiwal 63pc increase, Jhang district shows only 30.88pc increase in cotton arrival, Toba Tek Singh district shows only 21.37pc increase and Sargodha zero increase.
Talking to media, the PCGA Chairman Suhail Mehmood Haral said the credit goes to favorable weather, early sowing of crops, however, the agriculture department performance remained poor in controlling pest attack, particularly whitefly. He said the country would have 7 million to 7.5 million bales this year because of uncontrolled pest attacks. He said Pakistan is the fifth-largest producer of cotton in the world. It also has the third-largest cotton spinning capacity in Asia after China and India, with thousands of ginning and spinning units producing textile products from cotton.
At the moment Pakistan is the second-largest producer of Better Cotton globally. The Economic updates of the Finance Division, Economic Advisors’ wing report says at the Cotton Crop Assessment Committee meeting held on 1st September, the overall cotton production is estimated at 8.5 million bales during FY2022, showing an increase of 20pc compared to 7.1 million bales last year. The report says the inputs situation remained favorable.
