Cotton production declines

Chairman of Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA), Masood A Majeed and Senior Vice Chairman, Nawab Shehzad Ali Khan said a total 1,02,40,366 bales of cotton were received during last fortnight from December 16th, 2010 to January Ist, 2011 showing a decline of 14.17 percent in the production.
They said that total 946 ginning factories are operational in Sindh and Punjab Of them 731 ginneries in Punjab and 215 in Sindh out of total 1200. Recent floods had badly hit the cotton crop in the districts of Muzaffargarh, Layyah, Rajanpur, Multan and Dera Ghazi Khan. They said that 41.70 percent cotton was destroyed in Muzaffargarh, 58.81 percent in Rajanpur, 17.64 percent in Dera Ghazi Khan, 15.58 in Jhang, 21.12 percent in Hyderabad and 25.34 percent in Ghotki.
Cotton production in the country has declined by 14.17 percent as the arrivals recorded at the ginneries as on January Ist, 2011 stood at 1,02,40,366 bales, showing a decrease of 14.17 percent from 1,19,30,794 bales received in the corresponding period of last year.
The report reveals an increase of 17.05 percent in cotton in Lodhran district, 67.79 percent increase in Mianwali district, and 9.71 percent increase in Balochistan. The unsold stock is 11,75,473 bales less than last year, which was 12,66,844. The Chairman of Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA), Masood A Majeed briefed reporters about the fortnightly report.
Punjab contributed 67,51,217 bales, Sindh 34,89,149 bales and Balochistan 24,118 bales to take the total to 1,02,40,366 bales. District-wise production data showed that Multan contributed 3,57,478 bales, Lodhran 1,96,059 bales, Khanewal 6,80,275 bales, Muzaffargarh 2,20,672 bales, Dera Ghazi Khan 2,66,209 bales, Rajanpur 1,84,295 bales, Layyah 1,60,930 bales, Vehari 6,94,162 bales, Sahiwal 5,05,255 bales, Pakpattan 2,43,186 bales, Okara 45,024 bales, Kasur 7,150 bales, Toba Tek Singh 2,49,684 bales, Faisalabad 1,04,780 bales, Jhang 1,44,526 bales, Mianwali 1,27,000 bales, Bhakkar 81,700 bales, Rahim Yar Khan 8,51,528 bales, Bahawalpur 7,75,238 bales, and Bahawalnagar 8,19,616 bales.
Sindh's district-wise production figures were: Hyderabad 3,32,952 bales, Mirpurkhas 3,72,168 bales, Sanghar 14,83,617 bales, Nawabshah 3,24,778 bales, Naushero Feroze 1,90,282 bales, Khairpur 2,01,479 bales, Ghotki 1,85,318 bales, Sukkur 2,64,592 bales, and Dadu 1,09,845 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 areas should be completed shortly. The report said that the ginners pressed 99,63,191 bales. Only 4,28,000 bales were exported by commercial exporters (which were purchased from Sindh), and merely 45,300 bales were purchased from Punjab. The textile industry purchased 86,36,893 bales and 11,75,473 bales were available with ginners as unsold stock.