KARACHI: As the diminishing flow of phutti (seed cotton) arrivals from cotton fields into the ginning units extended this season (2013-14), the country has so far produced around 13.39 million cotton bales which could be around five per cent higher than last year’s total cotton production of 12.845m bales.

According to official figures jointly compiled by Cotton Ginners’ Association (PCGA), All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma) and the Karachi Cotton Association (KCA) during outgoing fortnight (April 1 to 15), around 4,953 cotton bales reached ginning units.

However, last year there was no picking during this period as the crop was much short.

It is encouraging that Sindh recorded higher production of around 11pc at 3.76m cotton bales over the last year’s production of 3.369m bales, though there were reports of pest and insect attacks in the lower belt of cotton-growing areas of the province.

Punjab, where cotton crop was damaged by heavy rains and floods last year, has also managed to produce more cotton at 9.630m bales, nearly 2pc higher than last year’s total production of 9.445m bales.

It is interesting that even now around 28 ginning factories are functioning in Sindh and Punjab which indicates that still some phutti has been left behind in cotton fields or is in stock with growers.

The exporters have so far purchased around 393,754 bales as against 328,931 last year. The spinning industry, which is the single largest buyer of raw cotton, lifted around 12.436m bales compared to 12.148m bales last season.