KARACHI: Firmer conditions prevailed on the cotton market on Thursday as spinners remained active buyers to replenish their stocks.

Renewed buying interest from leading spinners and some exporters suggested that they were now moving back to normal business activities neglecting rapid appreciation of the rupee and lifted sizeable quantity of lint to meet their near-future demand.

Besides, the withdrawal of exemption of five per cent duty on yarn opposed by the value added textile sector was also ignored by the market, which is now being driven by business- friendly policies of the government.

Fresh demand for cotton indicates that things have started to normalise after staying in trouble due to host of factors, brokers said.

However the New York cotton came under pressure and closed easy for all the future contracts except maturing May contract which finished with handsome gains.

The Karachi Cotton Association (KCA) kept its spot rates at previous level and trading on the ready counter was fairly active.

The following deals were reported to have changed hands: 1,100 bales from Saleh Pat, at Rs5,350, 400 bales, Sadiqabad, at Rs6,150, 575 bales, Fort Abbas, at Rs6,300, 600 bales, Khanpur, at Rs6,400, 400 bales, Alipur at Rs6,400 and 1,000 bales, Ahmedpur at Rs6400.