MULTAN, April 4: The country has produced 47 per cent more cotton this year with a record output of over 14.339 million bales that have reached ginneries so far. According to a report issued by the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) here on Monday, the output registered a robust increase of 47.08 per cent as compared to the 9.750 million bales last year.

Till April 1, 2005, a total of 14,339,852 bales of phutti had reached ginning factories in Punjab and Sindh, whose production ratio is about 4:1.

This year, the Punjab’s output has been recorded at 11,290,470 bales and that of Sindh at 3,049,382 (3.049 million) bales. Their respective figures last year were recorded at 7.626 million and 2.123 million bales. This year Punjab has shown an increase of 48.04 per cent and Sindh 43.61 per cent.

Textile mill-owners have so far bought 11,703,271 bales. The unsold lint stocks amount to 475,997 bales, besides unginned phutti weighing 11,941 bales.

—APP