Cotton output to be revised upward to 13 million bales: CCAC meeting on Wednesday

The government is likely to revise upward the projected cotton production figures from 12.22 million bales to 13 million bales for the current season 2011-12, Business Recorder has learnt. Sources in the Textile Ministry said that the Cotton Crop Assessment Committee (CCAC) has summoned all stakeholders on Wednesday to review the cotton production figures during the current season.
The CCAC had recently projected cotton production at 12.22 million bales. However, the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) rejected the estimated cotton production by the CCAC, saying that it would be on higher side, not be less than 15 million bales.
In response to the PCGA stance, the Ministry of Textile Industry said that the initial estimate of cotton crop issued by CCAC for the current year was based on 'unbiased' data and research. The estimate of CCAC was mainly based on data provided by Crop Reporting Services of Provincial Agriculture Departments.
According to the Ministry, the Crop Reporting Services conduct structured surveys at fortnightly intervals in 500 representative villages in cotton growing areas. The crop estimates are based on different factors like germination, plant population, average number of bolls per plant, average boll weight data, correlated with pest outbreak data, pest and disease prevalence, weather data, fertiliser and pesticide availability and use, water availability and flood damage.
PCGA Chairman Amanullah Qureshi told Business Recorder that they would again reject the CCAC estimates, if it was fixed at less than 14 million bales. He added that the country is expected to produce around 15 million bales of cotton this year because farmers have brought more land under cotton cultivation due to higher prices of the commodity at national as well as international level.
He said that cotton production registered an increase of 0.52 million bales on November 15, 2011 against the same period of last year as it stood at 7.9 million bales against 7.4 bales of last year. He said that standing crop was good, cotton leaf curl virus (CLCV) disease incidence and pest attack was low as compared to last years and a bumper crop of about 15 million bales was expected this year.