Cotton production up by 25.69 percent: overall 13.77 million bales traded so far: report

Textile mills have purchased 12.7 million out of 14.54 million bales of cotton while private exporters 0.99 million bales till March 15, 2012 and unsold stock of 0.77 million lying in the ginneries revealed a fortnightly report issued by Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA)on Sunday.
The report further reveals that around 14.54 million cotton bales have been sourced to the country's ginners by March 15, 2012. There has been a 25.69 per cent increase in the quantum of cotton reaching the ginners by March 15, as compared to the 11.57 million bales of cotton that reached the ginners during the same period of last year.
Briefing the newsmen about the cotton arrival here on Sunday, PCGA chairman Amanullah Qureshi along with Group Head Haji Muhammad Akram said that 12.77 million cotton bales were sold to the textile units, exporters bought some 9,99,909 bales. Thus, overall 13.77 million bales have been traded till now, without TCP participating in the trading activity so far. The PCGA Chairman added that there are 770,547 bales, which are to be sold. Qureshi said that increase of cotton arrival was 25.69 per cent and added total 14,548,845 bales of cotton were received during this season. It was 2,973,928 bales more than those of last year showing an increase of 25.69 per cent in the production in spite of unfair weather, flood, diseases and pest attacks in Sindh and monsoon rains in Punjab. While 169,883 bales were received during last fortnight from 1st to 15th March, 2012.
He said that total 204 ginning factories are operational in Sindh and Punjab. Recent floods had badly hit the cotton crop in the districts of Hyderabad, Nawabshah, Dadu, Mirpur Khas, Sangarh and other areas of Sindh.
They said that 43.49 per cent cotton was destroyed in Hyderabad, 55.52 per cent in Mirpur Khas, 50.57 per cent in Sangarh, 42.52 per cent in Nawabshah, 5.77 per cent increased in Naushehro Feroze, 2.65 per cent in Khairpur, 57.13 per cent decreased in Dadu and 100 per cent increased in Jamshoro, 155 per cent increased in Balochistan . The report reveals an increase of 59.28 per cent in Multan, 86.20 per cent in Lodhran district, 55.91 per cent in Khanewal, 125.30 per cent in Muzaffargarh, 41.13 per cent in Dera Ghazi Khan, 142.27 per cent in Rajanpur, 64.37 per cent in Layyah, 41.37 per cent in Vehari, 39.34 per cent in Sahiwal, 31. 16 per cent in Pakpattan, 37.80 per cent in Kasur, 18.73 per cent in Okara, 45.96 per cent in Toba Tek Singh, 19.24 per cent in Faisalabad, 64.01 per cent in Jhang, 102.52 per cent in Mianwali, 86.16 per cent in Bhakkar, and 32.76 per cent in Sargodha, 42.48 per cent in Rahimyar Khan, 41.06 per cent in Bahawalpur, 38.29 per cent in Bahawalnagar.
The unsold stock is 727,424 bales, which is more than those of last year, when unsold stock was 297,656.
The PCGA chairman said that Punjab contributed 11,879,977 bales, last year it contributed 7,784,573 bales showing an increase of 52.61 per cent, Similarly Sindh contributed 2,668,868 bales against the last year production of 3,790,344 bales showing a decrease of 29.59 per cent and Balochistan 61,500 bales.
District-wise production data showed that Multan contributed 689,572 bales, Lodhran 470,550 bales, Khanewal 1,173,451 bales, Muzaffargarh 540,733 bales, Dera Ghazi Khan 430,353 bales, Rajanpur 490,039 bales, Layyah 295,135 bales, Vehari 1,089,203 bales, Sahiwal 752,445 bales, Pakpattan 351,994 bales, Okara 62,450 bales, Kasur 44,100 bales, Toba Tek Singh 405,406 bales, Faisalabad 138,552 bales, Jhang 258,332 bales, Mianwali 351,809 bales, Bhakkar 175,408 bales, Sargodha 54,400, Rahim Yar Khan 1,498,741 bales, Bahawalpur 1,249,609 bales, and Bahawalnagar 1,357,595 bales.
Sindh's district-wise production figures were: Hyderabad 204,961 bales, Mirpur Khas 181,021 bales, Sanghar 789,602 bales, Nawabshah 200,111 bales, Naushero Feroze 205,683, Khairpur 214,062 bales, Ghotki 300,810 bales, Sukkur 344,525 bales, and Dadu 50,967 bales, Jamshoro 87,794, Badin 27,832 and Balochistan added 61,500 bales to the total.
The PCGA claimed that 2 million bales were destroyed in the floods in 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 per cent. The chairman PCGA reiterated demand to the government to announce relief and bail out package for 250 cotton ginning factories of flood-hit areas.
The report said that the ginners pressed 14,505,722 bales. Only 999,909 bales were exported by commercial exporters (who mostly purchased from Punjab), and merely 324,596 bales were purchased from Sindh. The textile industry purchased 12,778,389 and 770,547 bales were available with ginners as unsold stock. They told that cotton trading remained firm amid strong physical price and higher cottonseed prices.