LAHORE: Phutti (seed-cotton) arrivals at ginning factories rose by more than 32 per cent year-on-year by July 31, driven by a sharp increase in Sindh despite a slight decline in Punjab, according to the figures released by the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) on Monday.
The PCGA fortnightly report revealed that phutti arrivals reached 785,822 bales by July 31, up 32.33pc from 593,821 bales received during the corresponding period last year.
It showed that Punjab’s arrivals stood at 298,150 bales, down 1.1 per cent from a year earlier, while Sindh recorded 487,672 bales, marking a record 66.82pc increase despite recent monsoon rains. Balochistan also posted a 52.67pc rise in arrivals to 22,900 bales.
Cotton Ginners Forum Chairman Ihsanul Haq pointed out a significant discrepancy between the PCGA figures and the Punjab government’s Crop Reporting Service (CRS). While the PCGA data showed phutti arrivals in Punjab at around 298,000 bales, the CRS claimed production of about 435,000 bales by July 30, roughly 32pc higher than the PCGA estimate. He said the difference warranted clarification from the relevant authorities.
Sindh’s record 67pc surge by July 31 offsets Punjab decline despite rains
He said the CRS figures also reflected an alarming collapse in cotton cultivation across Bahawalpur Division, where only around 17,000 bales were produced despite the region once being Pakistan’s leading cotton-growing belt.
According to him, the rapid expansion of sugarcane cultivation, driven by the concentration of sugar mills in the region, has transformed the traditional cotton zone into a sugarcane belt, undermining domestic cotton production.
Mr Haq warned that shrinking cotton acreage, due to increasing sugarcane sowing, was forcing the country to rely increasingly on imports of both cotton and edible oil. He urged the federal and provincial governments to restore cotton cultivation by restricting sugarcane farming in designated cotton-growing areas.
Pakistan imported a record 3.482 million tonnes of edible oil worth $3.785 billion in 2025-26, compared with 3.214m tonnes valued at $3.40bn a year earlier.
The PCGA report showed that textile mills purchased 704,000 bales, while exporters bought 3,400 bales, leaving 78,044 bales unsold at ginning factories. A total of 231 ginning factories were operational across the country, including 108 in Punjab and 123 in Sindh, although some units had either become partially operational or suspended operations due to financial and commercial constraints.
Sanghar district alone accounted for 398,000 bales, representing 82pc of Sindh’s production and 51pc of the national total, largely because cotton sown in the province’s coastal areas during February and March had reached the market earlier than crops in other regions.
Commenting on the latest arrivals, Sajid Mahmood, head of the Transfer of Technology Department at the Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI), Multan, said the early-season figures suggested a stronger start than last year, particularly in Sindh where timely sowing, harvesting and improved crop management had supported higher arrivals.
However, he cautioned that August and September would provide a more reliable indication of the overall crop. He also warned that prolonged humidity and rainfall could increase the incidence of whitefly, pink bollworm and crop diseases, affecting lint quality and yields.
He advised growers to ensure proper drainage, closely monitor pest populations and adopt plant protection measures in consultation with agricultural extension officials.
Published in Dawn, August 4th, 2026
