ISLAMABAD, Jan 7: The third meeting of Cotton Crop Assessment Committee (CCAC) here on Monday expected production of over 13 million bales during the current season across Pakistan.

The CCAC meeting was chaired by Federal Minister for Textile Industry Makhdoom Shahabuddin and attended by Secretary Ministry of Textile Industry Shahid Rashid and representatives of provincial governments, Plant Protection Department, Trading Cooperation of Pakistan (TCP), cotton growers, Aptma, Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) and Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC).

Punjab province is expected to produce cotton bales of 9.599m, Sindh 3.600m, Balochistan 0.094m while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is expected to produce 0.006m cotton bales.

Cotton Commissioner Dr Khalid Abdullah gave an over review of cotton production in Pakistan.

Rashid informed that the cotton crop size is assessed on the basis of data provided by provincial governments, yield parameters of cotton and arrival pattern. He also emphasised the PCGA and other stakeholders to standardise the weight of bales to 170 kg in national interest.

The meeting discussed low availability of irrigation water during sowing season, high input prices and rain and flood damage to cotton crop.

Makhdoom Shahabuddin emphasised the need to amend such regulations which bar documentation of flood damages on smaller scales while giving the example of 2011 and 2012 floods.—APP