Pakistan cotton output likely to fall short of target

At the beginning of current season, the Federal Committee on Agriculture had projected that farmers would plant cotton over an area of 3.009 million hectares and produce 14.101 million bales. But Pakistan’s cotton produce is expected to remain lower at around 10.542 million bales in the current season because farmers under-sowed the cash crop on the fears of further drop in prices.

The third meeting of the Cotton Crop Assessment Committee (CCAC) held under the chairmanship of Federal Secretary of the Ministry of Textile Industry Hassan Iqbal to assess the volume of the silver fibre crop cotton.

Cotton Commissioner Dr Khalid Abdullah at the meeting said that lower prices, poor return from competing crops, and a forecast of more rains hit the cultivation of cotton in Punjab by 20 percent, which shrank the overall production.

Pests, disease, current market pattern, high temperature, and leaf reddening / burning issues are also influencing the cotton production in the country.

A government official said that Punjab is expected to see a cotton production of 6.903 million bales, while Sindh, Balochistan ,and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa are likely to produce 3.600, 0.038 and 0.001 million bales, respectively, which takes the overall production to 10.542 million bales.

Cotton growers, at large, demanded the government to ensure provision of quality cottonseed, affordable inputs, and competitive support prices. They urged the government to take steps that directly benefit the growers.