November 13, 2006	Monday	Shawwal 20, 1427

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VEHARI/MULTAN, Nov 12: Cotton growers in Vehari and adjoining areas are worried at the current phutti price which, according to them, hardly covers their production cost in wake of low yield mainly due to pest attack.

In the beginning of last month, the phutti price was Rs1,150 per maund which came down to Rs1,065 and then to Rs8,50 by the end of October .

A number of growers belonging to different parts of the district said Vehari was among the worst-affected districts as pest attack had flared up during monsoon.

They said that growers of most of the areas in the district managed a yield of 12 to 15 maunds which was not enough to cover their cost.

Those doing farming after getting land on lease were very much disturbed. “I will be left with nothing after paying the lease and clearing the fertilizer and pesticides dues,” said Allah Ditta from Jalla Jeem.

He said since growers had no facility to store the produce, they were constrained to sell it at a low price.

Rana Mushtaq, another farmer of Pakhi Morr, said that local grain market traders forced growers to bring cotton in cloth bags instead of plastic bags. For five maunds of cotton, he said, the cloth bag cost them Rs200 which was an additional expense.

He said a majority of traders were either close associates of ginners or were themselves ginners while some ginners were only investors who tried to purchase phutti at low rates.

Rana said his average yield was eight maunds per acre because of pest attack, while the government did not provide any relief to growers of affected areas.

Rana said that he had to sell his produce as low as Rs900 per maund, especially on the Eid occasion to fulfill his family needs.

A grain market trader said the best quality phutti was available between Rs1,050 to 1,100, but pest-affected and low quality crops were being sold at Rs850 to Rs900 per maund.

Deputy district officer (agriculture) Safdar Ali said the cotton production in the district had decreased about 20 to 25 per cent as compared to the last year’s.

He admitted that about 40 per cent growers could produce between five and 10 maunds per acre on account of pest attack. While the rest of growers’ per acre yield was between 15 and 20 maunds. “This was against the expectation of at least 20 maunds per acre yield in the district this year,” he said.

Growers urged the government to fix Rs2,000 per maund support price of phutti to cover all expenses. They feared that if cotton rates remained at the same level, growers of the affected areas might look at other options next season.

MULTAN: Growers here say that the minimum rate of phutti should not less than Rs1,500 per maund.

On Saturday, the rates of phutti and lint in Bahawalpur were Rs1,175 and 2450, respectively.

Similarly, in Dera Ghazi Khan the rates of cotton and lint were Rs1,180 and Rs2,450, respectively, and in Ahmedpur Sharqia Rs1,165 and Rs2,450, in Haroonabad Rs1,150 and Rs2,440, in Hasilpur Rs1,170 and Rs2,450, in Jhang Rs1,140 and Rs2,425, in Burewala Rs1,150 and Rs2,400, in Rajanpur Rs1,180 and Rs2,450, respectively.

The textile mills have purchased about 0.7 million to 0.8 million bales, the biggest purchase of the season, that has caused the increase of lint rates in Punjab from Rs2,400 to Rs2,450 and in Sindh from Rs2,300 to Rs2,350. While the cotton rates have increased from Rs1,050 to Rs1,200 in different parts of Punjab and from Rs1,000 to Rs1,075 in Sindh.

Ginners are expecting an increase of another Rs25 in the rates, but the APTMA is anticipating a decrease following lint imports from India.

Big ginners who have the capacity to hold their stocks never sell their commodity at low price while small ginners are forced to dispose of their commodity at low price.

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