Cotton arrivals nosedive in Punjab, Sindh gains ground

LAHORE: Cotton production in the country has swung in favour of Sindh, as it captures Punjab’s share convincingly, according to the latest data released on Thursday.

As per the cotton arrivals report prepared by the Pakistan Cotton Ginners’ Association (PCGA), a significant shift has occurred in the current cotton season, resulting in Punjab’s share of national production dropping to 35.62 per cent, a stark contrast to the usual 70-28 ratio in its favour. Meanwhile, Sindh has strengthened its position in the cotton market, increasing its share to 64.37 per cent, according to the data compiled until September 30.

Many districts reported lower cotton arrivals, indicating significantly reduced volumes compared to last year’s figures. The situation in southern Punjab, a prime cotton producing district, is dismal. For instance, Rahim Yar Khan, the core cotton producing district, showed a 94.57 per cent decline in arrivals, while Bahawalnagar indicated a 75.9 per cent drop, and cotton flows at Bahawalpur plunged by 75.63 per cent.

The latest consolidated statement of cotton arrivals in ginning factories across Pakistan is compiled through the joint cooperation of the PCGA and the Karachi Cotton Association (KCA). This data provides valuable insights into the initial phases of the cotton supply chain, indicating the number of bales arriving, sold, and remaining in stock across various districts.

Out of the total arrivals of 2.039 million bales, Sindh had a significantly higher volume of cotton arrivals when compared with that of Punjab. The reported volume of Punjab’s inflows was assessed at just 0.726 million bales until the end of last fortnight, showing a sharp fall while Sindh’s total size swelled to 1.313 million bales in the same period.

At the national level, cotton arrivals showed a declining trend compared to last year. In percentage terms, arrivals in the country have decreased by 59.41 per cent. However, Punjab reported a substantial decrease of 64.88 per cent in cotton arrivals as compared with the corresponding flow of last year. Sindh’s cotton flows, when compared to last year’s, have been decreased by 55.57 per cent.

This comparison highlights the contrasting trends in cotton arrivals between the two bigger provinces, with Punjab facing challenges while Sindh showed relatively better growth in arrivals.

Per the PCGA report, total cotton arrivals in the country amounted to 2.039 million bales, which highlights a decrease of mammoth 2.985 million bales compared to the previous year.At the national level, Sanghar had the highest arrivals with 0.851 million bales, followed by Bahawalnagar and Vehari with 0.103150 and 0.103137 million bales, respectively.

The total unsold stock across all districts was reported at 50,124 bales, with Dera Ghazi Khan having the highest number of unsold bales at 4,882.As of September 30, 2024, the total number of cotton bales that arrived in Multan is a paltry 9,548 bales. Punjab’s data suggests that the highest arrivals were reported in Bahawalnagar, followed by Vehari and Khanewal.Cotton arrivals in Balochistan reached 58,133 bales, showing a shortfall of 51.43 per cent compared to last year’s figures, reflecting challenges in cotton production and sales.