Increase in cottonseed (phutti) arrivals in Sindh ginneries has been reduced to 47 percent from 101 percent of corresponding period of last year following rains and high velocity winds in cotton growing areas in lower Sindh.
The crop monitoring cell of Sindh Agriculture Extension has not been able to evaluate the negative impact on cotton crop.
However, field reports indicate large-scale shedding and lodging where crop was in flowery boll formation and picking stage.
Following the rains cotton picking had been suspended in Sanghar, Mirpurkhas and Hyderabad districts with the result that arrivals at ginneries decreased.
Another reason for decrease in arrivals was continued fall in prices of cottonseed due to which the growers held back cottonseed supply to ginneries
Director Agriculture Extension upper Sindh told Business Recorder that no severe damage had been observed on Kharif crop.
He, however, conceded that lodging in rice crop, shedding of flower, square boll formation had been observed partially due to high velocity winds, followed by rains, but at the same time beneficial effects had been observed in areas where the crop was under water stress.
He was optimistic to have good harvest as rain's impact on crop was less compared to lower Sindh.
The statistic of cotton crop released by the cotton monitoring cell of Sindh Agriculture Extension was termed unreliable by cotton experts as the report for major cotton growing districts was missing.
These experts said that arrivals of cottonseed to Sindh ginneries would further decrease due to drop in temperature, which would delay the boll opening and pollination.
They were also of the view that the crop would surpass the FCA target of 2.4 million bales due to increase in area under cotton crop.
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Abstract 2004-05 2003-04 %
cottonseed
arrivals 8573500 5829825 +47
Total Export
to Punjab 212310 169843 +25
Total cotton
arrival 8785810 5999681 +46
Total cotton
ginned 6280904 4369259 +44
Bales pressed 542394 381272 +42
Bales sold 519447 354854 +46
Bales in balance 22947 26418 +13
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