Pakistan’s cotton estimate for 2017-18 drops by 10.26%

Pakistan’s Cotton Crop Assessment Committee (CCAC) estimates cotton production to be 12.6 million bales during the 2017-18 crop season, a drop of 10.26 per cent from the target of 14.04 million bales. This is a result of Punjab, the biggest crop-producing province, not achieving its sowing target leading to a 12 per cent drop in production.

Water shortage was a main reason behind the low acreage. At a recent CCAC meeting in Islamabad, textile industry secretary Hassan Iqbal, however, said the estimate may rise in future as the count of plants per acre and balls per plant rise.

The committee estimates cotton crop production at 8.9 million bales in Punjab, 3.7 million bales in Sindh and 0.01 million bale each for Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to media reports in Pakistan.

The cotton plant population has witnessed about 5.7 per cent rise whereas the average balls per plant grew by 40 per cent over last year, according to CCAC.

The meeting was attended by representatives from All Pakistan Textile Mills Association, Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association and Pakistan Central Cotton Committee.