The Cotton Crop Assessment Committee (CCAC) has revised cotton production target downward for the second time in current season (2019-20) by around 37 percent and set it at 9.45 million bales against the initial target of 15 million bales, it is learnt. The second meeting of CCAC was co-chaired by Federal Minister for Food and Security & Research Makhdoom Khusro Bukhtiar and Secretary Muhammad Hashim Popalzai last week, but no official statement was issued in this regard.
This shortfall of 37 percent in cotton production translates to the requirement of importing at least five million bales, increasing the import bill very substantially, said a senior official in the ministry. The cotton crop target was revised to 10.2 million bales during the first meeting of CCAC held in October against the initial target of 15 million bales set for the current season 2019-20, after missing the sowing target by over six percent.
Sources said that the second meeting of CCAC was co-chaired by the federal minister and secretary where representatives of provincial governments of Sindh and Punjab, Plant Protection Department (PPD), Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP), Federal Seed Certification & Registration Department (FSC&RD), Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC), All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA), Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA), Karachi Cotton Association (KCA), and Cotton Growers also participated. The committee met to asses the volume of current cotton crop in the country.
Talking to Business Recorder, Cotton Commissioner Dr Khalid Abdullah said that missing the sowing target, pests' attacks as well as unfavorable weather led to revising downward the crop production target.
Target for cotton production set for this year by the Ministry of Food Security/Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC) was 15 million bales. The second meeting held last week and it was agreed that the actual cotton production that can be realistically be expected is 9.45 million bales, he added.
Dr Khalid Abdullah during the meeting dilated upon the overview of cotton production scenario in the country. Challenges faced by the cotton crop especially high input prices, insect pests pressure and higher temperature were also discussed in detail. Representatives of the provincial governments explained the methodology for crop assessment and informed the meeting about the crop estimates.
The country has missed cotton sowing target by over 6 percent. Cotton was sown on 2.658 million hectares against the target of 2.785 million hectares. Sources said that due to increased sugarcane cultivation in cotton areas, delay in harvest of wheat and shortage of water, decline in cotton sowing was registered.
The government had fixed the cotton area and production target for the year 2019-20, according to which Punjab was expected to cover 2.145 million hectares and produce 10.2 million cotton bales, Sindh had to cover 0.64 million hectares and produce 4.6 million cotton bales, Balochistan had to cover 0.1 million hectares and produce 0.2 million bales and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had been targeted to sow cotton on 0.01 million acres and produce 0.0002 million bales of cotton. Sindh reported a drop of 30% in the expected cotton crop while Punjab reported a drop of 15% over last year's production.
This shortfall of 37% in cotton production translates to a drop in GDP as well as the requirement of importing at least 5 million bales increasing the import bill very substantially, claimed an official of All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA).
The expected quality of cotton is also much worse than last year, he added. Sources said that 150,647 bales were imported during July-October 2019-20 against 248,700 during the same period of last year. The sources attributed the decline in import to increased duties on import of cotton.
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