LAHORE, PAKISTAN: In a remarkable development for the country’s agriculture sector, Pakistan’s cotton production has surged by 40 percent year-on-year, crossing the 2 million bale mark by mid-September, according to fresh data released by the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA). The surge comes as a surprise given the heavy rains and devastating floods that hit major cotton-growing areas earlier this season.
Punjab and Sindh — the country’s two major cotton-producing provinces — both reported significant growth. Punjab’s ginneries received around 690,000 bales, showing a 28 percent increase from last year. Sindh outperformed with 1.314 million bales, marking a striking 47 percent rise.
Textile mills have responded strongly, purchasing 1.652 million bales, nearly 300,000 bales more than in the same period last year. Exporters, too, have entered the market with acquisitions of over 26,000 bales. The number of ginning units in operation has also climbed: 212 in Punjab, double compared to last year, and 216 in Sindh, up by 30 units.
District-wise, Sanghar in Sindh emerged as the leading contributor, producing 779,000 bales, while Vehari in Punjab topped its province with 114,000 bales. PCGA Chairman Ihsan-ul-Haq attributed the positive trend to early sowing in Punjab, favorable weather conditions accelerating boll development, and Sindh’s strong contribution despite weather disruptions.
While the figures bring optimism, experts caution that the true picture of national cotton output will only be clear by mid-October, once the full impact of the floods is assessed. Nonetheless, the early surge has fueled hopes of reducing Pakistan’s dependence on raw cotton imports and easing pressure on foreign exchange reserves.
This story has been reported by PakTribune. All rights reserved.