MULTAN: Physical activity on the cotton market showed improvement on Tuesday as spinners and mills resumed their normal covering operations at the prevailing prices. However, the Karachi Cotton Association kept its spot rates unchanged.

Cotton brokers said that as many as 20,000 bales changed hands during the last couple of days. “Rains can damage the crop in Punjab where a ban was imposed on early sowing and the height of the crop is small,” they said.

Punjab Secretary of Agriculture Muhammad Mehmood claimed that Girdawari (surveyorship) of cotton crop to assess the accurate estimate of the crop production in the province has been completed and according to which this year’s cotton cultivated area in the province is 5,506,000 acres, an increase of 120000 acres over the last year’s acreage.

Mr Mehmood said the cotton production will be 20 per cent more as compared to last year.

Meanwhile, on the call of All Pakistan Textile Mills Association a shutdown strike was observed across the country on Tuesday to protest at the government policies.

The price of seed-cotton (phutti) was Rs3,325 in Badin, Rs3,250 in Kunri, Rs3,300 in Dharo, Rs3,315 in Jhudu, Rs3,350 in Tando Bhago, Rs3,300 in Nawankot, Rs3,330 in Degree, Rs3,300 in Mirpur Chakir and Rs3,350 in Chichawatni.

Following were some of the notable deals finalised on the ready counter: 200 bales, Haroonabad at Rs6,950; 200 bales, Shahdadpur, at Rs6,550; 200 bales, Mirpurkhas, at Rs6,575; 465 bales, Vehari, at Rs6,700; 200 bales, Tando Adam, at Rs6,550 and 700 bales, Rahim Yar Khan, at Rs6,550.

Published in Dawn, June 21st, 2017