The year 1991-92 was the first cotton season when country had witnessed a bumper yield of just over 12.8 million bales, a record that was broken in 2005 and in 2012 when production crossed 14 million bales of cotton, according to PCGA statistics.
The recent fortnightly report of Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) issued here Tuesday say that the total arrival of seed cotton (Phutti) at ginneries across the country was recorded at 14.7 million bales till Mar 1, 2015. The development triggered optimism that country might touch 15 million bales mark for the first time ever in Pakistan as the cotton picking was still in progress and would continue for another month.
According to the report, seed cotton (Phutti) equivalent to 14,705,853 or 14.7 million bales have reached ginneries all over Pakistan till Mar 1, 2015, showing a percentage increase of 10.33 per cent over the corresponding period last year.
Out of total arrivals, Phutti equivalent to 14.64 million bales have undergone the ginning process.
The arrival at Punjab ginneries was recorded at 10.7 million bales recording a percentage increase of 12.18 per cent compared to corresponding period of last year. Arrival at ginneries in Sindh was recorded at 3.96 million bales showing a percentage increase of 5.61 per cent.
Textile Mills have purchased 13.294 million bales, exporters bought 470,837 bales while Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) procured 94,900 bales. Total sold out bales were calculated at 13.86 million bales.
Exactly 845,530 bales were still lying with the ginneries as the unsold stock, the report said.