The picking of the new cotton crop has started early in the coastal areas of Sindh, leading to the commencement of forward trading of cotton, as per news reports.
This marks the beginning of what could be the earliest cotton ginning season in Pakistan’s history, with the possibility of ginning operations beginning as early as the first week of May.
Ihsanul Haq, Chairman of the Cotton Ginners Forum, confirmed that forward deals for the newly harvested cotton have already taken place. Two ginning factories in Punjab, located in Burewala and Mandi Bahauddin, have already sold 600 bales of cotton for delivery between May 10 and 15, at a price range of Rs17,000 to Rs17,300 per maund. These factories purchased the raw cotton from Sindh’s coastal areas at a price of Rs8,300 to Rs8,500 per maund.
The early start of cotton picking, attributed to a sudden rise in temperatures, has prompted ginners from Punjab to begin purchasing the crop.
More forward contracts are expected to be finalised in the coming days, signaling a possible acceleration of the ginning season.
However, Haq also expressed concerns about the overall cotton cultivation in the country.
Reports indicate a decline in cotton sowing in major cotton-producing regions compared to last year, which could lead to a decrease in national production.
This reduction is largely due to farmers’ disinterest, driven by low domestic cotton prices and the influx of sales tax-free cotton, cotton yarn, and grey cloth under the Export Facilitation Scheme.
Further complicating the situation, the Federal Committee on Agriculture (FCA) has delayed the release of the cotton cultivation and production estimates for the 2025-26 Cotton Year, which are typically made available by the first week of February. This delay adds to the uncertainty surrounding Pakistan’s cotton sector in the coming year.
