Pakistan’s cotton output decreased by over 37 percent year-on-year (YoY), according to the latest fortnightly data released by the Pakistan Cotton Ginner’s Association (PCGA) on Tuesday.
Total cotton arrivals in Pakistan slid to 4.61 million bales as of January 1, 2023, compared to 7.347 million bales in the corresponding period last year, recording a difference of 2.73 million bales and a drop of 37.25 percent.
As per the PCGA data, cotton arrivals reported a substantial decline in both cotton-producing provinces of Punjab and Sindh. Numbers have been going down ever since the recent flash floods that ruined agriculture a couple of months ago.
As of January 1, cotton arrivals in Punjab were 2.76 million bales compared to 3.839 million bales in the same period last year, a decrease of 1.08 million bales or 28 percent YoY. On a monthly basis, cotton arrivals recorded an increase of 10 percent as compared to 2.515 million on December 1.
Similarly, cotton arrivals in Sindh reached 1.85 million bales as of January 1 compared to 3.509 million bales reported in the same period last year, a massive decline of 1.659 million bales or 47 percent. Conversely, on a fortnightly basis, cotton arrivals recorded an increase of 5 percent as compared to 1.765 million bales on December 1.
Overall, Pakistan’s cotton production is expected to decline by nearly half in the current year, especially in Sindh and Balochistan where crops took the biggest damage.
