- Rahim Yar Khan, a key cotton-producing district in Punjab, sees a dramatic 99.35% decline in cotton arrivals
The Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) has reported a sharp decline in cotton arrivals for the 2025-26 season, signaling a tough year for the country’s cotton industry.
As of July 15, 2025, a total of 0.2977 million bales had been received at ginning factories nationwide, down 32.64% from the 0.442 million bales recorded at the same time last year, a shortfall of 144,290 bales.
The decline in cotton arrivals is particularly notable in Sindh, which has faced a 53.41% decrease in its cotton supply, dropping from 0.3276 million bales in the previous year to 0.1526 million bales this year.
This sharp reduction is attributed to a 35% decline in sowing area in Sindh, which could severely impact the overall production of cotton, a critical crop for the country.
In contrast, Punjab has shown a slight improvement in its cotton arrivals, with 0.1451 million bales reported, marking a 26.86% increase over last year’s 114,375 bales. However, despite this growth, the overall contribution of Punjab remains relatively low compared to Sindh.
According to the PCGA, the major contributors to Punjab’s cotton output include districts like Vehari (33,950 bales), Khanewal (28,825 bales), and Dera Ghazi Khan (19,397 bales). Sindh’s Sanghar district, however, led the province with 130,037 bales, with other districts like Mirpur Khas and Nawabshah also contributing.
While ginning factories in Punjab are operating at higher numbers, with 98 factories compared to 86 in Sindh, the overall decline in cotton production across both provinces remains a major issue.
The drop in cotton production is most concerning in Rahim Yar Khan, a traditionally major cotton-producing district in Punjab, where arrivals have plunged by 99.35% from 2,310 bales last year to just 15 bales this year.
The situation is worsened by the fact that the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) has yet to make any cotton purchases this season, leaving an unsold stock of 47,771 bales.
