Cotton arrivals rise 19pc to 2.4m bales by September mid

Lahore, Pakistan: Cotton arrivals have surged 19% to 2.4 million bales by mid-September, sparking optimism about a record-breaking harvest, according to the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA). By September 15, cotton shipments to ginning factories rose to 2.389 million bales, up from 2.004 million a year earlier, the PCGA report indicated.

Punjab saw a 24.73% increase, delivering 860,942 bales, while Sindh reported a 16.25% rise, with 1.528 million bales. Cotton Ginners Forum Chairman Ihsanul Haq noted the strong performance, predicting national production could exceed 6 million bales, up from around 5.5 million last season. Haq highlighted an unusual regional disparity, with Sanghar district alone contributing 888,607 bales, surpassing Punjab's total.

Textile mills have already purchased 2.035 million bales, with 93,000 exported, leaving 261,000 bales for sale. However, PCGA's estimates diverge from the Punjab Crop Reporting Service's (CRS), with the former reporting 860,942 bales and the CRS estimating 1.483 million bales by September 17, a 72% difference. Experts cautioned that pest pressure, rainfall, timely picking, and lint quality would determine the final output.

Cotton analyst Sajid Mahmood emphasized the importance of monitoring bolls, implementing timely pest control, and picking to ensure yield and lint quality. The most pressing threat identified was pink bollworm, with reports of infestation across several cotton-growing areas. Analysts remain cautiously optimistic, attributing the strong start to favorable weather but emphasizing that the final production would become clearer after the picking and ginning season concludes.