Pakistan’s cotton arrivals show stability, slight decline in Punjab, growth in Sindh

Cotton arrivals have shown overall stability, with minor changes compared to the same period last year. According to the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA), ginning factories received 5.434 million bales of cotton by December 31, 2025, just slightly down from 5.452 million bales last year, reflecting a marginal decline of 0.33%.

In Punjab, the arrival of 2.540 million bales marks a 4.44% decline from the previous year’s 2.658 million bales. However, Sindh has seen a positive trend, reporting 2.893 million bales, up by 3.58% from last year’s 2.793 million bales.

The total national cotton production stood at 5.366 million bales as of December 31, 2025. Of this, exporters and traders purchased 176,000 bales, while the textile sector bought 478,380 bales. 

Notably, the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) has not made any cotton purchases this season.

While the figures show a mixed performance, the Pakistan Business Forum (PBF) is optimistic about the recovery, citing an 18% increase in cotton arrivals compared to the same period last year. The recovery has been primarily driven by higher inflows from key cotton-growing areas of Punjab, complemented by stable contributions from Sindh. 

However, domestic cotton production remains insufficient to meet the national demand, which is estimated at 14 to 15 million bales annually. As such, imports are still necessary, adding pressure on production costs and foreign exchange reserves.

District-wise arrivals:
In Punjab, cotton arrivals were reported as follows: Multan 36,299 bales, Lodhran 15,568 bales, Khanewal 126,723 bales, Muzaffargarh 32,450 bales, Dera Ghazi Khan 328,970 bales, Rajanpur 33,804 bales, Layyah 111,099 bales, Vehari 181,243 bales, Sahiwal 92,043 bales, Rahimyar Khan 340,261 bales, Bahawalpur 394,336 bales, and Bahawalnagar 692,637 bales.

In Sindh, cotton arrivals included: Sanghar 1,274,563 bales, Mirpur Khas 70,100 bales, Nawabshah 82,559 bales, Naushero Feroze 228,755 bales, Khairpur 229,536 bales, Sukkur 345,465 bales, Jamshoro 45,200 bales, and Hyderabad 151,656 bales.

Balochistan reported 178,590 bales of cotton, with unsold stocks of cotton and cotton lint currently at 549,664 bales.