Projected cotton production likely to be revised upward: CCAC to meet next week

The meeting of Cotton Crop Assessment Committee (CCAC) is likely to be held next week to review the cotton production for the current season, it has been learnt. A meeting of the CCAC was scheduled for Tuesday. However, due to unavailability of the Federal Minister for Textile Industry, the meeting was postponed, a senior official of the ministry told Business Recorder here on Tuesday.
The official said that the government was likely to revise upward the projected cotton production figures from 12.22 million to 13 million bales for the current season 2011-12. The CCAC had recently projected cotton production at 12.22 million bales. However, Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) rejected the estimated cotton production by the CCAC, saying that it would be on higher side, not less than 15 million bales.
In response to the PCGA objections, the Ministry of Textile Industry said that the initial estimate of cotton crop issued by CCAC for the current year was based on 'unbiased' data and research. The estimate of CCAC was mainly based on the data provided by Crop Reporting Services of provincial agriculture departments, it added.
According to the Ministry, the Crop Reporting Services conducted structured surveys at fortnightly intervals in 500 representative villages in cotton growing areas. According to the Ministry, the crop estimates are based on different factors like germination, plant population, average number of bolls per plant, average boll weight data, correlated with pest outbreak data, pest and disease prevalence, weather data, fertiliser and pesticide availability and use, water availability and flood damage.