Cotton arrivals at the ginning factories on December 15 this year at 8.34 million bales were 18.36 percent less than 10.228 million bales recorded on December 15, 2006. Cotton production target for this year was set at 14.2 million bales, which was later on reduced to 12.8 million bales.
But it is again being predicted that it would be even less than 12.8 million bales this year. Arrivals in Punjab during 2006, were 8.2 million bales while this year the figure is 6.18 million bales, showing a reduction of 2.0 million bales. As compared to Punjab, cotton arrivals in Sindh were unchanged at 2 million bales against the same figure on December 15, 2006.
Cotton sold to textile industry was 6.63 million bales against last year''s 7.94 million bales, showing a decline of 1.31 million bales. In Punjab, 4.9 million bales have so far been sold to textile industry while in Sindh 1.6 million bales were purchased by textiles millers.
The cotton arrivals during the fortnight as on December 15, 2007 were 1.07 million bales whereas last year, during the corresponding period, these were 1.2 million bales. This shows a difference of 0.1 million bales this year as compared to 2006.
The Food Ministry and the Ministry of Textile have different opinions about cotton production this year. According to Minfal officials, cotton production will be around 11.8 million bales, whereas the officials of Textile Ministry forecast that it would not be more than 10 million bales. Shortage of pesticides at the time of the attacks of ''mealy bug'' and the CLCV may be among the main reasons behind this shortfall.
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