LAHORE: The Agriculture Department of Punjab has reported a significantly higher cotton harvest for the ongoing crop year 2025-26, claiming that 609,000 bales were harvested by July 31. This figure is more than double the 301,000 bales reported by the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA).

Citing data from its Crop Reporting Service (CRS), a spokesperson for the department clarified on Thursday that the 609,000 bales of seed cotton were recorded up to July 31. In contrast, the PCGA’s estimate reflects only the cotton arriving at operational ginning factories in Punjab, irrespective of its origin.

The spokesperson emphasised that the CRS figures are based on internationally recognised, scientifically proven methods. These include randomised sampling, ground truthing techniques, and GPS-enabled tools, all of which are in line with FAO-endorsed methodologies. The CRS also utilises a real-time digital dashboard that ensures transparency and supports evidence-based policy decisions.

The department further argued that the PCGA figures fail to account for cotton held at the farm level, transferred to other provinces, or stored by stockists. “Persistent under-invoicing in recent years has distorted the accuracy of cotton reporting at ginning factories,” the spokesperson added.

Agriculture Department claims record yield, discrepancies with PCGA data

To clarify the situation, the department reiterated that the official record of national cotton production is based on estimates compiled by all provinces. As such, it suggested that comparisons with the fortnightly data on cotton arriving at ginning factories were not justified.

The department has also requested the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to implement a robust mechanism at all operational ginning factories to ensure real-time, accurate reporting of cotton received and processed.

“This step is essential for enhancing transparency, strengthening data integrity, and supporting coordinated efforts across institutions involved in cotton monitoring and policy formulation,” the spokesperson said.

This year, Punjab has seen significant success in cotton cultivation, with early planting carried out on 781,000 acres, contributing to a total sown area of 3.16 million acres.

Extensive support for the crop has included enhanced field services, active participation from universities, agricultural interns, and the private sector through the cotton campaign.

Published in Dawn, August 8th, 2025