LAHORE: The latest cotton statistics released by the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) till August 31, revealed a staggering 60% decline in cotton production, with total arrivals standing at 1,225,946 bales as of September 1, 2024, compared to 3,041,104 bales in the previous year.

Sajid Mahmood, Head of the Transfer of Technology Department at the Central Cotton Research Institute in Multan said that this significant drop is attributed to a combination of factors, including delayed sowing, extreme weather conditions, pest infestations, and a lack of government support for research and development.

In Punjab, production has decreased by 58%, with 452,855 bales produced compared to 1,068,796 bales last year, while Sindh has seen a 60% reduction, with 773,000 bales produced compared to 1,972,308 bales last year and Balochistan has produced 34,000 bales so far this year.

The decline in cotton production can be attributed to various factors, including a one-month delay in early sowing, prolonged heat waves in June and July causing fruit shedding, heavy rains in August, and infestations of whitefly and pink bollworm.

Furthermore, the reduction in cotton cultivation area can be attributed to the government’s failure to announce a support price for cotton, the crop not being as profitable as other competitive crops, and farmers suffering losses due to artificially low prices caused by the middleman’s monopoly in the market.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024