KARACHI, Nov 4: The country is poised to harvest a bumper cotton crop this season (2008-09).

Higher arrival of phutti for the third consecutive month indicates that the crop size would be much bigger than the previous year when it stood little over 12 million bales.

According to official figures, the arrival of phutti during the last fortnight (Oct 15 to Nov 1) stood higher by 24.16 per cent at 5.247 million bales over the corresponding period last year when arrival stood at 4.234 million bales.

Though it could not be said with certainty what would be the final size of the cotton crop, latest figures indicate that the size would be much higher than last year, cotton analysts said.

A remarkable growth in phutti arrival in Sindh with up to 33.32 per cent increase is quite encouraging where around 1.942 million bales have already reached ginners. Last year during the same period, 1.457 million bales were recorded. This means that the province has so far produced 485,458 bales more over the corresponding period last year.

Cotton watchers said so far no adverse reports are coming from cotton fields and the crop was quite normal and healthy. There are no indications of pest attack so far. However, as winner is setting in, heavy fog which normally accumulates in Punjab over cotton fields may cause some damage to the standing crop, they added.

Punjab which produces between 70 and 80 per cent of the total cotton crop of the country is also giving encouraging production figures where phutti arrival during Oct 15 to Nov 1 stood higher by 19.35 per cent at 3.315 million bales compared to 2.777 million bales produced in the same period last year.

This indicates that Punjab produced 537,617 more bales over the previous year.

The figures for the period under review further disclose that presently 934 ginning factories are operating. Of these, 747 units are functioning in the Punjab and 187 in Sindh.

If the current growth of phutti arrival at 1.023 million bales over the pervious year sustains for another couple of months, the country would definitely harvest bumper cotton crop this year, cotton analysts added.

The off-take of cotton by spinning mills also stood higher at 3.644 million bales as against 3.089 million bales in the corresponding period last year. Exporters also lifted 156,930 bales as compared to 51,900 bales last year.

The ginning factories are presently holding around 1.455 million bales of unsold stocks compared to 1.093 million bales held by them in the same period a year ago.