Sindh Surpasses Punjab in Cotton Production, Achieves a Remarkable 121% Increase in Output

According to recent data, Sindh, which traditionally contributes around 30 percent of Pakistan’s total cotton output, has outpaced Punjab by producing more than 50 percent of the 8.171 million bales arriving in ginning factories until December 31, 2023.

The Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) reported that Sindh’s cotton production reached 4.092 million bales, reflecting an impressive surge of 121.16 percent compared to the same period the previous year. In contrast, Punjab produced 4.078 million bales, experiencing a 47.66 percent increase.

The overall data revealed that 8.171 million bales of cotton had reached the country’s ginning factories by December 31, 2023, compared to 4.612 million bales in the corresponding period of the previous year. This marks a substantial increase of 77.14 percent, with an additional 3.558 million bales arriving in factories this year.

PCGA data indicated that Sindh’s cotton factories received 4.092 million bales, surpassing the previous year’s crop of 1.850 million bales by 2.241 million bales, resulting in a remarkable increase of 121.16 percent. In comparison, Punjab’s cotton factories received 4.078 million bales, representing a 1.316 million bales increase over the previous year’s crop of 2.762 million bales, marking a 47.66 percent jump.

Traditionally, the majority of Pakistan’s cotton (approximately 65 to 70 percent) is grown in Punjab, with the remaining portion in Sindh. However, this recent data shows a contrasting performance by the Sindh province.

In terms of district-wise cotton arrivals, Sanghar in Sindh reported the highest arrivals, with 1.68 million bales, followed by Sukkur with 0.54 million bales. In Punjab, Bahawalnagar district led with 1.06 million bales, followed by Rahim Yar Khan with 0.59 million bales.

The textile sector has purchased 7.314 million bales of cotton, while exporters and traders have purchased 0.292 million bales this season.