Pakistan’s cotton arrivals have reached 5.3 million bales so far this season, reflecting a slight decline of 1.23% compared to the same period last year, according to the Pakistan Cotton Ginners’ Association (PCGA). A notable shift in production has emerged, with Sindh overtaking Punjab as the leading cotton-producing province this season.
Sindh has delivered 2.85 million bales, up from 2.77 million last year. Sanghar remained the top-producing district with 1.25 million bales, while other districts like Nawabshah and Mirpur Khas saw sharp growth of 56.16% and 24.51%, respectively. Meanwhile, Punjab recorded a decline to 2.45 million bales, down 5.42% from last year, with Lodhran seeing the steepest fall at 74.59%.
Despite the decline, some areas in southern Punjab showed improvement. Dera Ghazi Khan’s output increased by 34.42%, and Rajanpur more than doubled its arrivals, rising 108.74%. Rahim Yar Khan remained the largest center for unsold cotton, holding 0.18 million bales. Of total arrivals, 4.67 million bales have been sold, mostly to textile mills, while unsold stocks stand at 0.64 million bales.
At present, 309 ginning factories operate across the country, with 163 in Punjab and 146 in Sindh. Industry experts are closely monitoring whether Sindh’s late-season momentum can compensate for Punjab’s declining production, which has long been the country’s traditional cotton hub.
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