MULTAN (March 18, 2011) : Chairman of Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA), Masood A Majeed has said that shortfall of cotton arrival was 8.74 percent. He said total 1,15,74,917 bales of cotton were received during this season. It was 11,09,026 bales less than last year showing a decline of 8.74 percent in the production due to flood, diseases , pest attacks.and some other causes. While 72,489 bales were received during last fortnight from March 1st to to March 15, 2011. He said that total 45 ginning factories are operational in Sindh and Punjab. Recent floods had badly hit the cotton crop in the districts of Muzaffargarh, Layyah, Rajanpur, Rahimyarkhan Multan and Dera Ghazi Khan. They said that 37.77 percent cotton was destroyed in Muzaffargarh, 56.43 percent in Rajanpur, 7.14 percent in Dera Ghazi Khan, 12.84 in Jhang, 19.12 percent in Hyderabad and 23.30 percent in Ghotki. Cotton production in the country has declined by 8.74 percent as the arrivals recorded at the gunneries as on March 15th, 2011 stood at 1,15,74,917 bales, showing a decrease of 8.74 percent from 1,26,83,943 bales received in the corresponding period of last year.
The report reveals an increase of 26.04 percent in cotton in Lodhran district, 126.45. percent increase in Mianwali district, and 9.46 percent increase in Balochistan. The unsold stock is 2,97,656 bales which is less than last year, when unsold stock was 3,23,143 Chairman of Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA), Masood A Majeed briefed reporters about the fortnightly report.
Punjab contributed 77,84,573 bales, last year it contributed 84,54,962 bales showing a decline of 7.93 percent, Similarly Sindh contributed 37,90,344 bales against the last year production of 42,28,981 bales showing a decrease of 10.37 percent and Balochistan 24,118 bales to take the total to 1,13,81,291 bales.
District-wise production data showed that Multan contributed 4,32,935 bales, Lodhran 2,52,716 bales, Khanewal 7,52, 649 bales, Muzaffargarh 2,40,008 bales, Dera Ghazi Khan 3,04,927 bales, Rajanpur 2,02,270 bales, Layyah 1,79,554 bales, Vehari 7,70,454 bales, Sahiwal 5,40,010 bales, Pakpattan 2,68,377 bales, Okara 52,600 bales, Kasur 8,200 bales, Toba Tek Singh 2,77,746 bales, Faisalabad 1,16,200 bales, Jhang 1,57,511 bales, Mianwali 1,73,714 bales, Bhakkar 94,226 bales, Sargodha 41,052, Rahim Yar Khan 10,51,885 bales, Bahawalpur 8,85,855 bales, and Bahawalnagar 9,81,684 bales.
Sindh's district-wise production figures were: Hyderabad 3,62,675 bales, Mirpurkhas 4,06,961 bales, Sanghar 15,97,452 bales, Nawabshah 3,48,568 bales, Naushero Feroze 1,94,458 bales, Khairpur 2,08,542 bales, Ghotki 2,20,323 bales, Sukkur 3,08,770 bales, and Dadu 1,18,877 bales.
Balochistan added 24,118 bales to the total. The arrivals figures recorded so far are the lowest Pakistan ever had. PCGA claimed that 2 million bales were destroyed in recent floods in Punjab and Sindh. Policy-makers may hope that bumper cotton crop will help the government make deficiency in other areas, taking the annual growth rates to over 7 percent.The chairman PCGA reiterated demand to the government to announce relief and bail out package for cotton ginning factories of flood-hit areas and survey of such area should be completed shortly. The report said that the ginners pressed 1,15,62,010 bales. Only 5,25,177 bales were exported by commercial exporters (who mostly purchased from Sindh), and merely 80,228 bales were purchased from Punjab. The textile industry purchased 1,07,52,084 bales and 2,97,656 bales were available with ginners as unsold stock.
