Country may miss cotton production target

The country is likely to miss cotton production target of 15.1 million bales set for the current season 2014-15 after failing to meet the sowing target by 6 per cent and attacks of sucking insects on the crop, official sources reveal. Sources in the Ministry of Textile Industry told Business Recorder that cotton sowing remained 6 per cent below the target however it was 4 per cent more than the last season.
However, Cotton Commissioner Dr Abdullah said that as compared to the previous season 2013-14 where less than 10 per cent certified cotton seed was used, this time about 40 per cent certified seed has been used. Further, there is no shortage of water against the previous season which badly damaged the cotton crop, said Abdullah, adding that cotton production target is likely to be achieved.
Regarding the insect attacks on cotton crops, the Cotton Commissioner confirmed that sucking insects have attacked crops in Punjab and Sindh provinces however he said that intensity of attacks is low and farmers have succeeded in controlling the situation and saving the crops from severe attacks.
The government has fixed cotton production target for the current season (2014-15) at 15.1 million bales from an area of 7.72 million acres - 2.77 million bales higher than the revised estimates for the comparable period of the last season. Punjab was likely to produce 10.5 million bales from 6 million acres, Sindh was projected to produce 4.2 million bales from 1.6 million acres, Balochistan to produce 0.4 million bales from 0.12 million acres and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will cover about 74000 acres and produce 0.0015 million cotton bales.
Officials said that decline in cotton sowing was recorded in Punjab and Sindh, the major cotton producing provinces. According to officials in Punjab the area under cotton was estimated at 6 million acres however it was cultivated on about 5.6 million acres. Sindh grew cotton on about 1.35 million acres against the projection of 1.6 million acres.
Cotton sowing declined due to low prices of cotton nationally and internationally during the last two years that discouraged growers who opted for other crops like maize, sugarcane and rice in some districts of Punjab due to better market returns, officials added.
The government had set the cotton production target at 14.6 million bales for last season, but later revised it downward to 12.33 million bales following water shortages during sowing period as well as floods and rain. About one million cotton bales were destroyed during the last season, officials maintained. However, the country achieved the revised cotton production target of 12.33 million bales set for 2013-14, which would positively affect the country's exports especially to EU countries under the GSP plus facility, the official added.