LAHORE: Pakistan’s cotton arrivals have surged 19.17 percent so far this season, reaching 2,388,682 bales by September 15 compared to 2,004,384 bales during the same period last year, according to a Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) report released on Friday, even as experts warn the crop has entered a make-or-break phase threatened by pink bollworm and unseasonal rains.
Punjab recorded 860,942 bales, up 24.73percent, while Sindh logged 1,527,740 bales, a 16.25percent rise. Sanghar led Sindh’s tally with 888,607 bales, while Dadu posted a 150percent jump. Bahawalnagar topped Punjab with 166,400 bales, with Bhakkar and Kasur registering explosive gains.
Speaking to Business Recorder, Sajid Mahmood, Head of the Technology Transfer Department at the Central Cotton Research Institute, Multan, said early-season figures looked encouraging but cautioned that pest pressure, rainfall, timely picking and lint quality would now determine final output.
He said 412 ginning factories were operational nationwide, with unsold stocks totalling 260,789 bales. While crop condition remained largely favourable across Sindh and southern Punjab, he flagged growing pink bollworm infestations as the season’s top concern, urging continuous monitoring of boll damage alongside vigilance against whitefly, jassid and thrips, even as cotton prices showed modest improvement.
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