KARACHI, March 4: Cotton arrival at ginning factories depicted a decline of 2.27 per cent to 9.62 million bales till March 1, said a report here on Monday.

According to a fortnightly report of Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA), cotton arrival during the same period last year was recorded at 9.844 million bales.

Cotton arrival depicted a fall of 4.67 per cent in Punjab while it recorded a rise of 6.46 per cent in Sindh.

Punjab produced 7.359 million bales till March 1, 2002 against 7.72 million bales during the same period last year.

Sindh produced 2.26 million bales during the period under review compared to 2.12 million bales last year.

Of the total, textile mills purchased more than 7.675 million bales from ginners, while Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) procured 143,801 bales and private sector exporters bought 60,214 bales.

The total unsold stock at the ginneries had reduced to 1.741 million bales on March 1, 2002, compared to 1.803 million bales last fortnight.

About 198,089 bales of cotton reached ginning factories from all over Pakistan compared to 228,432 bales during the same period last year.

A total of 694 ginning factories operated during this fortnight.—APP