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 by November 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 said.

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 thedistricts 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.