The Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) has released the first-ever fortnightly report of cotton crop 2005-06 showing that cotton arrival recorded at ginneries, as on September 15, stood at 574,176 bales against 1071,765 bales of the last year.
The report states that Sindh contributed 373,118 bales and Punjab 201,066 bales in total. Arrival from Balochistan is yet to start so this province has no share in the production figure shown in the first fortnightly.
District-wise production arrival showed that Multan contributed 2,241 bales, Lodhran 1,200 bales, Khanewal 16,495 bales, Muzzafargarh 2,230 bales, Dera Ghazi Khan 7,709, Rajanpur 4,800 bales, Layyah 1,800 bales, Vehari 34,598 bales, Sahiwal 32,847 bales, Pakpattan 11,080 bales, Okara 5,000, Toba Tek Singh 7,500, Faisalabad 19,558, Jhang 8,500, Bhakkar 1,100, Rahimyar Khan 10,200, Bahawalpur 8,600 and Bahawalnagar 25,600 bales. Hyderabad contributed 43,629, Mirpur Khas 63,617, Sanghar 249,622, Nawabshah 11,273 and Dadu 5,077 bales.
The ginners have 143,646 unsold bales in their stocks. This showed slow buying of cotton during the last 15 days. PCGA chairman Haji Ibrahim was worried and said that this trend of slow buying was very dangerous and if continued will leave the ginners and growers in serious trouble.
Ibrahim added that the government should direct the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) to intervene in the cotton market to ensure that the growers and ginners get good returns. He said that delay on part of the government in bringing TCP into cotton market could cause irreparable loss to the farmers and growers.
The PCGA chief said declining trend in cotton production was due to late start of picking season and added that production will be as per the government estimates and net output may exceed 14 million bales.
Meanwhile, the report indicates that all the cotton-growing districts have produced less cotton than last year. It also carries a message from the PCGA chairman, in which he has cautioned the ginners that cotton season 2005-06, was going to end in a big total and they should handle the crop very carefully.