The Cotton Crop Assessment Committee (CCAC) is likely to downward revise cotton production estimates by around 1.6 million bales for the current season (2016-17), it is learnt. Official sources told Business Recorder that cotton sowing target has been missed by a wide margin of 15 percent in the current crop season (2016-17), and as a result Pakistan would miss the production target set at 14.1 million bales by around 1.6 million bales.
The CCAC will meet on Tuesday to assess cotton crop production based on the data collected by concerned departments. The meeting will be attended by representatives of provincial governments of Sindh and Punjab, Plant Protection Department, Trading Co-operation of Pakistan (TCP), cotton growers, All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) and Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC). Sources further said based on the data collected by concerned departments, it is evident that cotton production estimates would be downward revised. Due to uncertainty about cotton prices, increased sugarcane cultivation in the cotton areas and shortage of certified seed significant decline in cotton sowing was registered.
The government has downward revised cotton production target as well as area and fixed at 14.1 million bales from 7.4 million acres for the season 2016-17 against 15.49 million bales from 7.7 million acres estimated for the just concluded season 2015-16.
The country missed the crop production target by around 30 percent in 2015-16 and it remained around 10 million bales, which according to Finance Minister caused 0.5 percent to GDP growth. Punjab was expected to produce 9.5 million cotton bales from 5.9 million acres, Sindh had to cover 1.6 million acres and was estimated to produce 4.5 million cotton bales, Balochistan had to grow cotton on 0.12 million acres and was targeted to produce 0.4 million cotton bales, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was targeted to cover about 74000 acres and produce 0.0015 million cotton bales.
According to the official figure, cotton sowing in Punjab has been missed by 20 percent, while Sindh has surpassed the target by about 2 percent, which resulted in an average shortfall of 15 percent in crop sowing, official added. According to sources sugarcane crop has overtaken the cotton rich areas of the province including Rahimyar Khan, Rajanpure, Muzaffargar and Lodhra. Cotton sowing also declined due to lower prices of cotton nationally and internationally during the last three years that discouraged growers who opted to cultivate maize, sugarcane and rice crops in some districts of Punjab due to their better market returns. There is still uncertainty as up and down is being observed in cotton prices due to which growers are reluctant to sow cotton crop, sources added. Up to 50 percent certified cotton seed was available in the market and growers faced difficulties in getting certified seed, hence affected sowing target, sources maintained.
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