The fortnightly phutti (seed-cotton) arrivals report, released by the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA), showed that around 7.968 million bales had been sourced to the country's ginners byNovember 15, 2011.

According to the report, there has been a 6.92 percent increase in the quantum of cotton reaching the ginners by Nov 15, as compared to 7.453 million bales for the same period of last year. PCGA chairman Amanullah Qureshi, Muhammad Akram, and Shehzad Ali Khan briefed the journalists about the seed-cotton arrivals, sales and the balance unsold stock of cotton in the country.

The report said that 57,83,360 cotton bales were sold to the textile units, and exporters bought some 2,44,982 bales. Thus, overall 6.028 million bales had been traded till Nov 15, 2011. So far there has been no participation of TCP in the trading activity. There remained 19,40,477 bales unsold, with the ginners..

The PCGA Chairman said that increase in cotton arrivals was a mere 6.92 percent. He said total 79,68,819 bales of cotton were received during this season. It was 5,15,669 bales more than last year, showing an increase of 6.92 percent in the production in spite of floods, diseases and pest attacks in Sindh and monsoon rains in Punjab.

He said that total 12,65,079 bales were received during the fortnight from November 1 to November 15, 2011. He said that total 1075 ginning factories were operational in Sindh and Punjab. Recent floods had badly hit the cotton crop in the districts of Hyderabad, Nawabshah, Dadu, Mirpur Khas, Sangarh and other areas of Sindh.

He said that 42.12 percent cotton was destroyed in Hyderabad, 62.10 percent in Mirpur Khas, 50.36 percent in Sangarh, 52.64 percent in Nawabshah, and 5.59 percent in Naushehro Feroze.

The report shows increase of 42.81 percent in Multan, 66.09 percent in Lodhran district, 38.58 percent in Khanewal, 89.51 percent in Muzaffargarh, 8.40 percent in Dera Ghazi Khan, 109.42 percent in Rajanpur, 38.06 percent in Vehari, 350.53 percent in Kasur, 16.34 percent in Faisalabad, 121.26 percent in Mianwali, 88.27 percent in Bhakkar, and 127.87` percent in Sargodha The unsold stock is 19,49,477 bales, which is more than last year, when unsold stock was 10,02,674 bales.

Amanullah said that Punjab contributed 60,86,620 bales against last year's 45,88,486 bales, showing an increase of 32.65 percent. Sindh contributed 18,82,199 bales against last year's 28,64,664 bales, showing a decrease of 34.30 percent, while Balochistan contributed 31,091 bales.

District-wise production data showed that Multan contributed 3,11,907 bales, Lodhran 2,09,530 bales, Khanewal 6,50,208 bales, Muzaffargarh 2,56,653 bales, Dera Ghazi Khan 1,96,550 bales, Rajanpur 2,73,573 bales, Layyah 1,40,664 bales, Vehari 6,67,740 bales, Sahiwal 4,64,396 bales, Pakpattan 2,11,880 bales, Okara 36,500 bales, Kasur 21,400 bales, Toba Tek Singh 2,56,148 bales, Faisalabad 95,500 bales, Jhang 1,60,870 bales, Mianwali 1,43,600 bales, Bhakkar 1,07,500 bales, Sargodha 39,650 bales, Rahim Yar Khan 6,33,460  bales, Bahawalpur 6,30,084 bales, and Bahawalnagar 5,78,757 bales.

Sindh's district-wise production figures were: Hyderabad 1,65,528 bales, Mirpurkhas 1,20,368 bales, Sanghar 6,19,308 bales, Nawabshah 1,25,385 bales, Naushero Feroze 1,46,741, Khairpur 1,64,760 bales, Ghotki 1,64,760 bales, Sukkur 2,31,455  bales, Dadu 15,727 bales, Jamshoro 69,365 bales, and Badin 26,177 bales. Balochistan added 31,091 bales to the total.

PCGA claimed that 2 million bales were destroyed in recent floods in Sindh.

Policy-makers may hope that bumper cotton crop will help the government make deficiency in other areas, taking the annual growth rate to over 7 percent.

The chairman of PCGA reiterated demand to the government to announce relief and bail-out package for cotton ginning factories of flood-hit areas.

The report said that the ginners had pressed 72,78,950 bales. Only 2,44,982 bales were exported by commercial exporters (who mostly purchased from Sindh), and merely 1,14,988 bales were purchased from Punjab.

The textile industry purchased 57,83,360 bales, and 19,40,477 bales were available with ginners as unsold stock. Cotton trading remained firm amid strong physical price and higher cottonseed prices.

SOURCE: BUSINESS RECORDER