Cotton production surges to over 5 million bales

Cotton production by the end of September surpassed the total output of the crop recorded in the last season, reveals the data released by the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA). However, there has been an abnormal difference between the crop statistics of the PCGA and Punjab agriculture authorities. As per the PCGA figures cotton arrivals at ginning factories across the country reached 5.025 million bales by Sept 30, which is 71.15 per cent more when compared with 2.936m bales for the same period last year; rather it exceeds the total lint output of 5m bales last year. Business Club Commodities’ Hasseb Ahmed says textile mills have so far purchased 4.179m bales against 2.319m bales last year, an increase of 80.2pc, whereas exporters have picked over 0.248m bales against just 4,900 bales last year. According to him, Fast Trade Commodities Services was prominent among the exporters. The fortnightly flow was recorded at 1.091m bales as opposed to 0.749m bales during the same fortnight (Sept 15-30) last year. Cotton Ginners Forum Chairman Ihsanul Haq attributes more than expected phutti arrivals at ginning units to haste in picking by the growers on fears of whitefly attack.