KARACHI, Feb 21: The Cotton Crop Assessment Committee (CCAC) has increased its estimates for cotton production by 100,000 bales to 10.5 million bales for the current season.

According to Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC) here on Thursday, this revision was carried out at the 8th meeting of CCAC under the chairmanship of Adviser to Chief Executive on Food, Agriculture and Livestock, M Shafi Niaz at Lahore.

A large number of officials including TCP, Federal Food Protection Dept, agriculture departments and representatives of PCGA, ATPMA, KCA and growers attended the meeting.

In the last meeting, the committee had observed that the country would have 10.4m bales of cotton of which Punjab is expected to have 8.1m bales, Sindh 2.2m bales and Balochistan 100,000 bales on ex-farm basis.

Now the committee estimated that country will have 10.5 million bales of which Punjab is expected to produce 8.1 million bales, Sindh 2.3 million bales and Balochistan 100,000 bales.

While reviewing the flow of cotton arrival at ginning factories as provided by Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA), the committee asked the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) to activate its procurement in line with government instructions.

The committee was of the view that active buying by TCP was necessary to stabilize the prices and encourage growers.

The meeting observed that a reasonable quantity of seed cotton was still lying with some farmers, fields and middlemen in the hope of an increase in market prices.

The committee noted that provincial agricultural departments have maintained that cotton cultivation area was higher by 22pc at 3.125m hectares against the target of 2.56m hectares and about 7pc over last year’s cultivated area of 2.93m hectares.—APP