Cotton sowing target missed

Pakistan has missed cotton sowing target estimated for the current season (2012-13) by over 15 percent, which may hamper the commodity production in the upcoming year, informed sources revealed. Sources in the Ministry of Textile and Industry told Business Recorder that cotton production was expected to surge to 14 million bales from 7.8 million acres with 23.14 monds per acre in 2012-13.
The expected target seems next to impossible to achieve as the sowing period is about to end, but the cotton sowing target is still far away, officials sources added. The major reasons behind the low sowing are: water shortage, low cotton prices, inclination of farmers to other cash crops including maize and rice and certified seed shortage that would adversely affect cotton production in the upcoming year.
According to the documents, cotton sowing in Punjab was targeted on 6.2 million acres for 2012-13 with production of 10.5 million bales and 23.14 monds per acre yield. However, up till now cotton has sown on 5.26 million acres (84.9 percent), which is less by 15.97 percent from the target.
Similarly, cotton sowing was projected on 1.61 million acres in Sindh; however up till now cotton has sown on 1.17 million (73.4 percent) and the targeted is missed by about 26 percent. Cotton sowing in Punjab from sub-total of core areas is less by 14.92 percent from its target of 5.01 million acres. The target from sub-total of non core areas is missed by 16.75 percent from the target of 0.94 million acres, while it is less by 39.42 percent from sub-total of marginal areas against its target of 0.24 million acres.
Cotton Crop Assessment Committee (CCAC) had projected cotton production at 12.598 million bales for the season 2011-12; however the cotton production has exceeded the estimated target, but a significant decline of 15 percent in cotton sowing has been recorded against the estimated target, which will decline cotton production during the upcoming year.
Sources further revealed that farmers received low prices during the last season, which discouraged them and significant decline in cotton sowing was recorded. Farmers are reluctant to further invest in cotton as they their inclination to other cash crop raised. Last year major contribution in cotton production was from Punjab where cotton was sown on 6.21 million acres, where sowing declined by 15 percent during the current year.