KARACHI, Sept 4: Season's (2004-05) first arrival figures of phutti (seed cotton) stood higher by over 114 per cent over the corresponding period last year, indicating a bumper cotton crop this season.

"If all goes well in the month of September and no rains are received in the cotton belts of Sindh and Punjab, the country could well exceed the official target of 10.7 million bales," cotton experts said.

The higher cotton production at the advent of the quota-free regime will be highly beneficial for the textile industry, in particular, and the economy in general. This would help the textile industry face the challenges of the free-market era by fully taking advantage of 10 to 12 per cent of indigenous raw material (cotton), Shabir Ahmed, a leading bedlinen exporter, said.

The official figures released by the Pakistan Cotton Ginners' Association recorded arrivals of 0.407 million bales up to September 1, which was start of the new cotton crop season (2004-05). This indicates that arrivals were 0.217 million bales or 114.66 per cent higher over the corresponding period last year.

The jump in phutti arrivals ushers well for the textile industry and the economy as this could consolidate last four year's economic achievements and help dispense its benefits to the lower strata of society.

It is highly encouraging that both the cotton producing provinces -- Sindh and Punjab - have recorded higher phutti arrivals, and so far no pest attack has been witnessed in the fields. The higher production means lesser import because at present there is a big gap of over two million bales in production and consumption as the country needs a little over 12 million bales to see the season through.

The PCGA figures showed that phutti arrivals in Punjab were higher by 209.41 per cent at 0.209 million bales over the corresponding period last year when 67,718 bales were received by the ginneries.

Similarly, in Sindh, the arrivals were higher by 61.81 per cent at 0.197 million bales over the corresponding period last year when the arrivals stood at 0.122 million bales.

The figures further showed that at present 128 ginneries were operating in Punjab and 66 in Sindh. Even the district-wise arrival figures were highly encouraging. Okara recorded a 1,212.50 per cent growth in arrivals over the last year, followed by a 778.57 per cent growth in T.T. Singh, and 741.17 per cent in Jhang. In Sindh, District Dadu recorded 100 per cent higher arrivals, followed by 84.69 per cent in Sanghar and 40.72 per cent in Mirpurkhas.

The unsold stock with the ginners stood at 0.102 million bales compared to 43,875 bales in the same period last year.