Adulterated seeds, fake pesticides affect Punjab cotton production

MULTAN: The cotton prospects 2020-21 presents a very gloomy picture as the country has lost more than 34 percent cotton crop production due to adulterated seeds, spurious pesticides and lack of effective strategy.

According to the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) statistics, the cotton farmers of south Punjab suffered gravely. The statistics shows that 5,493,138 bales of cotton arrived in the country's ginning factories until January 15, compared to 8,338,026 bales of cotton had arrived in the factories during the same corresponding period of last year. The fresh statistics have shown a shortfall of 2,844,888 bales leaving a heavy decrease in production to 34.12 percent.

The ginning factories in Punjab factories have received 3,366,549 bales of cotton which is 1,540,036 bales less than the crop of 4,870,585 bales of cotton in the same period last year. In Punjab, the reduction rate was 30.88 percent.

In Sindh, 2,126,589 bales of cotton reached the factories against 3,467,441 bales received last year. The Sindh shortfall is witnessed to 38.67pc. By January 15 last, 5,399,038 bales of cotton were produced from the ginning factories. Some 166 ginning factories are operational in the country. Exporters have bought 70,200 bales of cotton this season while the textile sector has bought 4,837,607 bales of cotton.

The Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) has not purchased cotton in the 2020-21 season. The PCGA report said some 150 ginning factories are operational in Punjab province and 3,278,733 bales of cotton have been produced.

Some 77,167 bales of cotton arrived in Multan district till January 1,538,493 bales of cotton in Lodhran district, 226,969 bales in Khanewal district, 87, 811 bales in Muzaffargarh district, 319,011 bales in Dera Ghazi Khan and 88,135 bales in Rajanpur district.

There are 1,111,854 bales in Vehari district, 169,101 bales in Sahiwal, 645,843 bales in Rahimyar Khan, 384,644 bales in Bahawalpur and 945,578 bales of cotton in Bahawalnagar district.

In Sindh, Sanghar produced 791,278 cotton bales, Mirpur Khas 29,695 bales, Nawab Shah 62,281 bales, Naushero Feroz 193,731 bales, Khairpur 217,135 bales, Sukkur 357,948 bales, Jamshoro 40, 800 bales and Balochistan 67, 200 bales.