According to figures released on Friday by the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA), at least 1.06 million bales of raw cotton reached ginning factories between October 1 and 15, compared to 0.97 million bales during the same period last year.
However, total phutti arrivals during the current cotton season have been reported at 3.101 million bales, compared to 5.996 million bales on the same date in the previous cotton season. This indicates a significant decrease in lint output of 48.26 percent.
This year, Punjab has produced approximately 1.185 million bales, down 53.38 percent from 2.543 million bales by this time last year. In a similar vein, Sindh’s production had decreased by 44.52 percent, going from 3.452 million bales in 2023-24 to 1.916 million bales in 2024-25.
According to Pakistan Cotton Brokers Association Secretary Sundas Ayub, this past two weeks saw a pretty good show of arrival, which reached its peak with good quality. Overall cotton production decreased by 48 percent through October 15. However, despite a small fumble caused by arrival pressure, the market remains stable due to mills’ active buying of high-quality lint.
She adds that the big arrival this week may psychologically cause buyers to be bearish for the time being, which seems unlikely given the firm phutti prices.
According to Naseem Usman, chairman of the Karachi Cotton Brokers Forum, approximately 1.5 million bales were not registered in order to avoid the hefty taxes that would have been levied on ginners as part of the budget. He guarantees that import bargains for 3m bundles have been concluded by the material business to meet its article of clothing trade targets and that the appearance of imported cotton has likewise started.
According to Cotton Ginners Forum Chairman Ihsanul Haq, the unanticipated rise in phutti arrivals has also made 184 additional ginning units operational, bringing the total to 536 for the current season.
He claims that total cotton production could reach 6 million bales this season if the weather remains favorable.
The cotton crop is severely impacted by climate change, extreme heat, torrential rains, and pest attacks, in addition to economic challenges like an unorganized market system, exploitation of farmers by middlemen, and inadequate government support.
