The arrival of cotton at ginneries in Pakistan by October 15, 2016, is down 6.19 per cent year-on-year to 4.374 million bales, according to the fortnightly report on cotton arrivals, prepared by the Pakistan Cotton Ginners’ Association (PCGA), in joint cooperation with All Pakistan textile Mills Association (APTMA) and the Karachi Cotton Association (KCA). Last season, as on October 15, ginneries had received 4.663 million bales, according to PCGA data. In Punjab province, total cotton arrivals decreased by 9.03 per cent year-on-year to 1.957 million bales, according to the data. In Sindh province, cotton arrivals dropped 3.77 per cent to 2.417 million bales as on October 15 during the ongoing cotton season 2016-17. Of the total arrival of 4.374 million bales, 3.547 million bales were pressed by ginners, of which 3.239 million bales were sold, leaving an unsold stock of 307,770 million bales with the ginners, as on October 15. The textile mills in Pakistan consumed 3.144 million bales, while another 95,490 bales of cotton were sold to exporters, according to the data. The Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) has not procured any bale of cotton so far this season. As of October 15, a total of 661 ginning factories were operational in Punjab compared to 694 ginneries that were operational during the same time last season. Similarly, 270 ginning units were operational in the Sindh region, compared to 271 operating units during the corresponding period last year. In 2015-16 cotton season, Pakistan’s cotton output decreased by 34.28 per cent to 9.768 million bales, compared to the previous season’s production of 14.871 million bales. For this season, final output is expected to drop further by at least 0.5 per cent.
