Erratic Weather Patterns and Lack of Farmer Support Blamed for Drastic Decline.
The cotton production during the current season in Pakistan has dropped by almost 50% compared to the same period last year, according to the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association.
Experts have attributed this significant decline in cotton bale availability to erratic weather patterns and the government’s failure to ensure that farmers received good prices for their produce.
In its first report of the season about the new crop, released on Saturday, the association stated that around 442,000 bales of raw cotton (phutti) were brought to ginning factories up until July 15. This number is 48.48% less than the 858,007 bales available to ginning units during the same period last year.
The report further reveals that the cotton production in Punjab has decreased by 42.49%, with 114,375 bales produced so far, compared to 198,873 bales in the previous year. In Sindh, the cotton production has declined by over 50%, from 659,134 bales in the corresponding period last year to 327,666 bales.
Sanghar district, which is the hub of ginning factories in Sindh and produces 80% of the province’s total cotton and 60% of Pakistan’s overall cotton, has also seen a significant drop of 46.07% in bale arrivals at the ginning units, down to 263,282 bales from 488,234 bales in the same period last year.
Ginning units in Punjab and Sindh have purchased 395,695 bales, which is 89.51% of the total available produce, while textile mills have only purchased 374,889 bales, compared to 691,731 bales in the previous season.
The Cotton Ginners’ Association has attributed the significant drop in cotton production to the government’s failure to fulfill its promise of ensuring that growers receive a minimum price of Rs8,500 per 40kg for their produce. Additionally, adverse weather conditions, such as an extended winter with a significant decrease in temperature during February and March, and excessive heat in May and June, have also contributed to the low production.
Furthermore, the association claims that high taxes on the ginning sector resulted in a boom in undocumented sales of about 2.5 million bales last year, prompting the government to introduce a “track and trace” system in the ginning factories to control tax evasion. However, the association states that undocumented business is still ongoing in certain areas, as the government has yet to make the track-and-trace system fully functional.
The cotton production during the current season in Pakistan has dropped by almost 50% compared to the same period last year, according to the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association.
Experts have attributed this significant decline in cotton bale availability to erratic weather patterns and the government’s failure to ensure that farmers received good prices for their produce.
In its first report of the season about the new crop, released on Saturday, the association stated that around 442,000 bales of raw cotton (phutti) were brought to ginning factories up until July 15. This number is 48.48% less than the 858,007 bales available to ginning units during the same period last year.
The report further reveals that the cotton production in Punjab has decreased by 42.49%, with 114,375 bales produced so far, compared to 198,873 bales in the previous year. In Sindh, the cotton production has declined by over 50%, from 659,134 bales in the corresponding period last year to 327,666 bales.
Sanghar district, which is the hub of ginning factories in Sindh and produces 80% of the province’s total cotton and 60% of Pakistan’s overall cotton, has also seen a significant drop of 46.07% in bale arrivals at the ginning units, down to 263,282 bales from 488,234 bales in the same period last year.
Ginning units in Punjab and Sindh have purchased 395,695 bales, which is 89.51% of the total available produce, while textile mills have only purchased 374,889 bales, compared to 691,731 bales in the previous season.
The Cotton Ginners’ Association has attributed the significant drop in cotton production to the government’s failure to fulfill its promise of ensuring that growers receive a minimum price of Rs8,500 per 40kg for their produce. Additionally, adverse weather conditions, such as an extended winter with a significant decrease in temperature during February and March, and excessive heat in May and June, have also contributed to the low production.
Furthermore, the association claims that high taxes on the ginning sector resulted in a boom in undocumented sales of about 2.5 million bales last year, prompting the government to introduce a “track and trace” system in the ginning factories to control tax evasion. However, the association states that undocumented business is still ongoing in certain areas, as the government has yet to make the track-and-trace system fully functional.
