Pakistan’s cotton output till March 15 this year shows an 11.7 percent fall as compared to production achieved during the corresponding period of last year, a fortnightly report of Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) on domestic cotton production states.
Against last season’s 14.548 million bales, only 12.845 million bales were reaped by March 15 this season.
Of the total production so far this season, ginneries in Punjab received 9.445 million bales of seed cotton, which was 20.5 percent or 2.434 million bales less than the previous season, while Sindh ginneries received 3.399 million bales, up 27.33 percent over last year’s 0.735 million bales, the report said.
According to the report, as against last year’s exports of one million bales of cotton, the country has exported only 0.328 million bales of cotton by March 15 this year.
PCGA’s ex-Executive Member Ihsanul Haq said excessive rains at start of the crop cultivation season in 2012, led to about 55-60 percent fall in the germination capacity of the seed, which is much below the standard requirement of 75 percent.
Low germination capacity stirred a crisis of certified seeds in Punjab and Sindh, which required the Punjab Seed Corporation and the Seed Association of Pakistan to urge the Government to lower the germination standards to 50 percent, to facilitate easy availability of certified seeds for farmers during the plantation season.
In view of heavy rains and floods in some parts of the country, the Government also downwardly revised the cotton production target set for the current year from 14.6 million bales to 13.3 million bales.
Besides, the Federal Board of Revenue has also resolved to continue the existing zero sales tax policy for sale of cotton lint, by deferring the proposed sales tax levy, Mr. Haq said.