MULTAN, Jan 20: The Cotton Crop Assessment Committee (CCAC), constituted by the federal government, here on Saturday assessed that the cotton production is likely to touch 12.5 million bales this year.

The meeting was held at the Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI), with federal minister for food, agriculture and livestock Sikandar Hayat Bosan in the chair. Cotton researchers, ginners, Aptma (textile mill owners), growers, pesticide distributors and officials of the agriculture department and Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) attended the meeting.

The cotton production target has slightly been revised upward by the CCAC from 12.44 million bales to 12.50 million bales.

The province-wise output target has been fixed as under: Punjab 10.1 million bales, Sindh 2.3 million bales, Balochistan and NWFP 0.1 million bales.

The committee also reviewed the figures issued by the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) on Jan 17.

According to the PCGA report, the cotton arrivals at the ginneries across the country were recorded at 11.55 million bales till Jan 15.

Given this production figure till Jan 15, the CCAC expected, the output target of 12.5 million bales, despite the attack of mealy bug and virus on the crop, was quite achievable. —APP