The Chairman of Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA), Masood A Majeed and Senior Vice Chairman Shehzad Ali Khan said on Wednesday that total 1,07,60,252 bales of cotton were received during the fortnight from January 1 to 15, 2011. This quantity was 9,76,630 bales less than last year, showing a decline of 22.09 percent in the production, which may be due to due to flood and pest attacks.
They said that out of total 1200, only 946 ginning factories are operational in both Sindh and Punjab. Of these, 731 ginneries are in Punjab and 215 in Sindh. Recent floods had badly hit the cotton crop in the districts of Muzaffargarh, Layyah, Rajanpur, Rahimyar Khan Multan and Dera Ghazi Khan.
They said that 39.49 percent cotton was destroyed in Muzaffargarh, 58.28 percent in Rajanpur,7.90 percent in Dera Ghazi Khan, 15.58 in Jhang, 21.12 percent in Hyderabad and 25.34 percent in Ghotki. Cotton production in the country declined by 22.09 percent as the arrivals recorded at the ginneries as on January 15, 2011 stood at 1,07,60,252 bales, showing a decrease of 22.09 percent from 1,22,39,959 bales received in the corresponding period of last year.
The report showed an increase of 17.05 percent in cotton in Lodhran district, 67.79 percent in Mianwali district, and 9.71 percent in Balochistan. The unsold stock is 9,97,409 bales, less than last year, which was 11,21,018. Masood briefed reporters about the fortnightly report.
Punjab contributed 71,39,612 bales; last year it contributed 81,16,242 bales, showing a decline of 12.03 percent. Sindh contributed 36,20,640 bales, against last year's 41,23,717 bales, showing a decrease of 12.20 percent; and Balochistan produced 24,118 bales to take the total to 1,07,60,252 bales.
District-wise production data showed that Multan contributed 3,88,863 bales, Lodhran 2,12,901 bales, Khanewal 7,09,112 bales, Muzaffargarh 2,30,848 bales, Dera Ghazi Khan 2,93,206 bales, Rajanpur 1,91,406 bales, Layyah 1,70,620 bales, Vehari 7,19,789 bales, Sahiwal 5,19,121 bales, Pakpattan 2,51,271 bales, Okara 46,883 bales, Kasur 7,150 bales, Toba Tek Singh 2,61,987 bales, Faisalabad 1,08,000 bales, Jhang 1,52,533 bales, Mianwali 1,44,000 bales, Bhakkar 90,300 bales, Sargodha 38,400, Rahim Yar Khan 9,35,367 bales, Bahawalpur 8,01,574 bales, and Bahawalnagar 8,66,779 bales.
Sindh's district-wise production figures were: Hyderabad 3,43,228 bales, Mirpurkhas 3,86,580 bales, Sanghar 15,33,982 bales, Nawabshah 3,38,735 bales, Naushero Feroze 1,91,887bales, Khairpur 2,07,002 bales, Ghotki 2,02,794bales, Sukkur 2,77,414 bales, and Dadu 1,14,900 bales.
Balochistan added 24,118 bales to the total. The arrivals figures recorded so far are the lowest Pakistan ever had. PCGA claimed that 2 million bales were destroyed in recent floods in Punjab and 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 percent.
The chairman of PCGA reiterated demand to the government to announce relief and bailout package for cotton ginning factories of flood-hit areas and survey of such areas should be completed shortly. The report said that the ginners pressed 99,63,191 bales. Only 4,46,600 bales were exported by commercial exporters (who mostly purchased from Sindh), and merely 45,300 bales were purchased from Punjab. The textile industry purchased 93,16,243 bales and 9,97,409 bales were available with ginners as unsold stock.