Cotton output target for Kharif missed

Islamabad - The cotton production goal for Kharif 2026-27 has not been met, as the country's estimated output is 6.7 million bales on 1.75 million hectares, falling short of the set target of 9.64 million bales. This information was presented during a Federal Committee on Agriculture (FCA) meeting presided over by the Minister for National Food Security and Research, Rana Tanveer Hussain.

The committee deliberated on production targets for Kharif crops in 2025-26, but decided not to establish production goals for wheat and other Rabi crops in the 2026-27 season until the indicative price/minimum support price (MSP) for wheat was announced. The proposed wheat production target for the upcoming Rabi 2026-27 season stands at 33 million tonnes across 9.763 million hectares, with Punjab expected to yield 25 million tonnes, Sindh 5 million tonnes, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 1.50 million tonnes, and Balochistan 1.50 million tonnes.

The meeting also assessed Kharif crops' performance, revealing a 18.5 percent rise in sugarcane production and a 21.1 percent increase in sugarcane area. Similarly, rice cultivation expanded by 3.9 percent in terms of area and 11.0 percent in terms of production. Punjab's sugarcane output is forecasted to be 73.756 million tonnes from 0.992 million hectares, while Sindh is expected to produce 18.5338 million tonnes from 0.2748 million hectares.

Rice production in Punjab is anticipated to reach 5.766 million tonnes from 2.593 million hectares, while Sindh will produce 3.789 million tonnes from 1.105 million hectares. Maize production is projected to be 9.97 million tonnes from 1.83 million hectares, with a 21.0 percent rise in area and a 3.2 percent increase in output. The meeting also examined the availability of wheat seeds for the upcoming Rabi 2026-27 sowing season, with provincial seed procurement standing at 0.611793 million tonnes, covering 51 percent of the total seed requirement of 1.191555 million tonnes.