Islamabad, Sep 19: Cotton arrivals in Pakistan have dropped to a 40-year low as of September 15, 2024, plummeting by 64%, according to the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA).
This year, only 1.434 million bales have been reported compared to 3.933 million bales during the same period in 2023.
The past two weeks saw just 0.208 million bales arriving—a steep 77% decline from last year’s 0.892 million bales.
Punjab’s output has been particularly hard-hit, with only 0.538 million bales reported, compared to 1.544 million bales in 2023.
Sindh performed relatively better, recording 0.895 million bales, which was 66% more than Punjab’s total. However, the overall situation is grim, with exports remaining stagnant—only 400 bales have been sold to traders so far, and unsold stock has dropped significantly to 25,516 bales from last year’s 132,128 bales. Additionally, six districts have reported no cotton arrivals at all.
Rahim Yar Khan, a major cotton-growing district, experienced a 96% decline, which many attribute to crop damage from adverse weather and underreporting by ginners.
Climate change, poor-quality seeds, rising input costs, and pest infestations have also been cited by farmers as key reasons for the decline.
Many are switching to crops like sugarcane and maize, as cotton farming becomes increasingly unsustainable. The government has been urged to intervene or risk the collapse of cotton cultivation in the country.
