LAHORE: The country’s cotton production surged by 40 per cent year-on-year to 2.004 million bales by Sept 15, according to data released by the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) on Thursday. The sharp increase has come despite prolonged rainfall and flooding in several cotton-growing regions, raising hopes of a reduced import bill for raw cotton and edible oil.

The PCGA report shows that ginning factories in Punjab received 690,000 bales during the period, reflecting a 28pc increase from last year, while Sindh reported a 47pc rise, with 1.314m bales reaching ginneries. The overall output suggests an early recovery in the cotton sector, which has faced multiple challenges in recent years.

Ihsan-ul-Haq, chairman of the Cotton Ginners Forum, attributed the growth to several factors, including widespread early sowing in Punjab, higher temperatures that accelerated boll development, and a substantial increase in production from Sindh.

Market activity also picked up, with textile mills purchasing 1.652m bales — around 300,000 more than last year — while exporters acquired 26,400 bales. The increase in buying activity signals improved confidence in domestic supply.

The number of operational ginning factories has also grown notably. In Punjab, 212 factories are active, double the number recorded at this time last year. Sindh reported 216 operational units, up by 30 compared to last year. Sanghar in Sindh remained the top-producing district with 779,000 bales, while Vehari led in Punjab with 114,000 bales.

Mr Haq noted that a clearer picture of total cotton output for the 2025-26 season will emerge by mid-October, once early harvesting is completed and the impact of recent floods becomes fully known.

Meanwhile, discrepancies between production estimates from different sources have raised concerns among industry stakeholders. The PCGA reported Punjab’s output at 690,000 bales as of Sept 15, while the Punjab Crop Reporting Service (CRS) placed it significantly higher at 1.715m bales as of Sept 18.

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2025