MULTAN: As of Feb 1 over 14 million seed cotton (phutti) bales reached ginneries across the country, posting a 10.19 percent hike versus the same period of last year.
A fortnightly report issued by Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) said out of total arrivals of 14,436,202 bales, 14.34m bales have undergone the ginning process. Arrivals in Punjab were recorded at 10.5m bales, around 12pc higher than last year. Arrivals in Sindh were recorded at 3.93m bales, a surge of 5.27pc.
It said exporters have bought 446,346 bales, the Trading Corporation of Pakistan procured 94,900 bales, while textile mills purchased 12.56m bales. Total sold-out cotton bales were calculated at 13.1m, leaving over 1.3m bales unsold with the ginneries till Feb 1. It said 267 ginneries were operational in the country, including 55 in Sindh. District Sanghar again topped the list with cotton arrivals recorded at 1.496m bales, followed by Rahimyar Khan, 1.378m; and Bahawalnagar district, 1.335m.