LAHORE: Cotton cultivation for the crop year 2025-26 has started in several cotton districts of Sindh and Punjab, while the Federal Committee on Agriculture (FCA) has yet to fix the cultivation and production targets.

In Sindh, cotton cultivation is in full swing in the coastal districts of Badin, Thatta, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar and Umerkot, while in Punjab, partial cultivation has started in the districts of Bahawalnagar, Rahim Yar Khan, Vehari, Sahiwal and Bahawalpur.

However, there are fears that cotton cultivation may be lower than expected this year due to the low prices of cotton and seed cotton (Phutti).

The FCA usually announces the cotton crop sowing and production targets in the first week of February. But, its meeting this year has not yet been convened making it difficult for the stakeholders to formulate their strategies.

Cotton Ginners Forum Chairman Ihsanul Haq says that due to higher than expected temperatures, cotton sowing has started in many districts and the crop acreage may increase in case of no rains. However, sales tax exemption for the imported cotton may affect the farmers’ choice for the crop because this has made the textile industry to import cotton instead of buying the local lint and thus suppressing its prices in the domestic market.

A report of the United States Department of Agriculture puts the total cotton production in Pakistan at 7.75 million bales (160 kg) or 27 percent higher than the domestic figures for the crop year 2024-25.

The Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association report says that the total local cotton production is expected to be around 5.55 million bales this year. The country will need to import more than 6.53 million bales this year.

Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2025