Cotton crop likely to miss production target

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s cotton produce is expected to remain lower at around 10.542 million bales in the current season, as compared to the last year because farmers under-sowed the cash crop on the fears of further drop in prices, a statement said on Monday.

“Lower prices, poor return from competing crops, and a forecast of more rains hit the cultivation of cotton in Punjab by 20 percent, which shrank the overall production,” Cotton Commissioner Dr Khalid Abdullah told a meeting held to assess the volume of the silver fibre crop.  The third meeting of the Cotton Crop Assessment Committee (CCAC) was held here under the chairmanship of Federal Secretary of the Ministry of Textile Industry Hassan Iqbal. “Pests, disease, current market pattern, high temperature, and leaf reddening / burning issues are also influencing the cotton production in the country.”

Representatives of provincial governments of Sindh and Punjab, cotton growers, TCP, KCA, and Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC), were also present at the meeting.

“Punjab is expected to see a cotton production of 6.903 million bales, while Sindh, Balochistan, and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa are likely to produce 3.600, 0.038 and 0.001 million bales, respectively, which takes the overall production to 10.542 million bales,” a government official said.

A KCA member described the above forecast as pragmatic. This assessment is very realistic. The forecast has been made by keeping all the ground realities in view.” Cotton growers, at large, demanded the government to ensure provision of quality cottonseed, affordable inputs, and competitive support prices. “We urge the government to take steps that directly benefit the growers.”

Federal secretary of ministry of textile industry wrapped up the meeting, stressing the development of modern cotton crop estimation and forecasting model so that accurate, reliable, and more authentic assessments could be made.