Phutti arrivals show 9.8 percent decline

The Chairman of Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA), Masood A Majeed, has said that shortfall of cotton arrival is 9.80 percent. He said that total 1,13,81,291 bales of cotton have been received so far during this season. This is 12,36,270 bales less than last year, showing a decline of 9.80 percent in the production due to flood, diseases and pest attacks.
He said 2,76,780 bales were received during the fortnight from February 1 to 15, 2011. He said that total 336 ginning factories are operational in Sindh and Punjab. Recent floods had badly hit the cotton crop in the districts of Muzaffargarh, Layyah, Rajanpur, Rahimyarkhan Multan and Dera Ghazi Khan. He said that 37.82 percent cotton was destroyed in Muzaffargarh, 56.67 percent in Rajanpur, 7.31 percent in Dera Ghazi Khan, 12.79 in Jhang, 19.12 percent in Hyderabad and 23.30 percent in Ghotki.
Cotton production in the country declined by 9.80 percent as the arrivals recorded at the gunneries as on February 15, 2011 stood at 1,13,81,291 bales, showing a decrease of 9.80 percent from 1,26,17,561bales received in the corresponding period of last year. The report shows an increase of 23.31 percent in cotton in Lodhran district, 121.87 percent increase in Mianwali district, and 9.46 percent increase in Balochistan. The unsold stock is 5,05,941 bales which is less than last year, when unsold stock was 6,11,819, the PCGA Chairman told reporters.
Punjab contributed 76,27,088 bales (last year it contributed 84,09,339 bales), showing a decline of 9.30 percent. Sindh contributed 37,52,203 bales against the last year's 42,08,222 bales, showing a decrease of 10.79 percent; and Balochistan produced 24,118 bales, to take the total to 1,13,81,291 bales.
District-wise production data showed that Multan contributed 4,25,353 bales, Lodhran 2,44,391 bales, Khanewal 7,45,624 bales, Muzaffargarh 2,39,704 bales, Dera Ghazi Khan 3,04,366 bales, Rajanpur 2,01,179 bales, Layyah 1,79,054 bales, Vehari 7,58,093bales, Sahiwal 5,34,396 bales, Pakpattan 2,66,895 bales, Okara 52,100 bales, Kasur 8,200 bales, Toba Tek Singh 2,73,627 bales, Faisalabad 1,14,700 bales, Jhang 1,57,328 bales, Mianwali 1,70,200 bales, Bhakkar 94,226 bales, Sargodha 40,330, Rahim Yar Khan 10,12,,975 bales, Bahawalpur 8,68,458 bales, and Bahawalnagar 9,35,889 bales.
Sindh's district-wise production figures were: Hyderabad 3,56,100 bales, Mirpurkhas 4,02,118 bales, Sanghar 15,85,583 bales, Nawabshah 3,45,568 bales, Naushero Feroze 1,94,458 bales, Khairpur 2,08,542 bales, Ghotki 2,20,037 bales, Sukkur 2,99,702 bales, and Dadu 1,17,977 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 area should be completed shortly. The report said that the ginners pressed 1,13,06,850 bales. Only 4,96,330 bales were exported by commercial exporters (who mostly purchased from Sindh), and merely 62,250 bales were purchased from Punjab. The textile industry purchased 1,03,79020 bales and 5,05,941 bales were available with ginners as unsold stock.