Punjab's cotton arrivals fall 2.74% as 11 districts post sharp declines

Cotton arrivals at ginning factories in Punjab declined by 74,030 bales, or 2.74%, compared with the same period last year, as sharp drops across more than half of the province’s producing districts outweighed gains elsewhere, according to data released by the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association.

The PCGA figures show that 11 of Punjab’s 21 districts recorded year-on-year contractions, driving the overall decline despite strong increases in a handful of areas. As of January 31, Lodhran posted the steepest fall, with arrivals down 46,810 bales, a 75.04% reduction from last year. Muzaffargarh followed with a drop of 35,845 bales, or 52.49%.

Other districts in South Punjab also reported lower arrivals. Sahiwal recorded a 25.95% decline, while Bahawalpur and Khanewal saw decreases of 7.94% and 12.56%, respectively. Bhakkar registered no arrivals during the current season, compared with 14,100 bales in the same period last year. Multan’s arrivals fell 28%, Mianwali’s 17.86%, and Rahim Yar Khan’s 5.99%, with reductions also reported in Toba Tek Singh and Faisalabad.

The provincial downturn was partly offset by gains in a few districts. Dera Ghazi Khan reported an increase of 96,758 bales, nearly 40% higher than last year, while Rajanpur recorded a 107.42% rise, adding 17,610 bales. Bahawalnagar, Vehari and Jhang also posted increases, helping cushion the overall decline.

Nationwide, total cotton arrivals at ginning factories reached 5.545 million bales, a marginal increase of 0.62% from 5.511 million bales a year earlier. Punjab’s arrivals stood at 2.63 million bales, down from 2.704 million bales last year, while Sindh received 2.915 million bales, up 3.86% from 2.806 million bales.

District-wise data shows Sanghar in Sindh leading the country with 1.287 million bales. In Punjab, the highest arrivals were recorded in Bahawalnagar at 0.735 million bales, followed by Bahawalpur at 0.411 million bales.