KARACHI:
The cotton crop throughout key rising zones has been hit exhausting by current rains and floods, elevating fears that Pakistan could as soon as once more fail to attain its dream of bumper cotton manufacturing within the 2025-26 cotton 12 months.
Alongside flood and rain harm, virus assaults have additionally been reported in elements of Sindh and in Punjab’s cotton belt with underground freshwater reserves. Subsequently, the true scale of losses to the cotton crop can solely be assessed as soon as the rains and flooding subside.
Cotton Ginners Discussion board Chairman Ihsanul Haq advised The Specific Tribune that this 12 months’s cotton season started on a extremely encouraging word throughout all zones of Pakistan, with some areas of Punjab and Sindh witnessing the earliest cotton ginning season in Could — the primary such prevalence within the nation’s historical past.
Expectations had been excessive that cotton manufacturing would rise by 20-25% in comparison with final 12 months. Nonetheless, surprising rainfall, elevated temperatures particularly at night time, humidity, and virus assaults have hampered crop progress, sparking fears of diminished per-acre yields.
“Punjab’s cotton crop has suffered essentially the most harm, significantly in Bahawalnagar — the province’s largest cotton-producing district — the place an estimated 40% of the crop has already been destroyed.”
He stated with extra rain and floods forecast over the subsequent few days, additional losses are anticipated.
“In areas with underground freshwater, domestically referred to as Kacha lands, extreme cultivation of sugarcane in comparison with earlier years has worsened environmental stress, leaving cotton extra weak to virus assaults,” he added.
In line with climate forecasts, extra rainfall throughout Punjab and Sindh cotton zones this week, together with flood threats in Rahim Yar Khan and different elements of Sindh, might additional hurt cotton fields.
Farmers have been suggested to maintain drainage routes clear in order that flood and rainwater doesn’t stay standing in fields for lengthy. Extended waterlogging might result in extreme weed progress and expose crops to armyworm and fungal infections, which can trigger larger harm.
He added that as a result of diminished arrivals of seed cotton, a number of ginning factories in Punjab and Sindh have gone inactive. Regardless of restricted availability of high quality lint, cotton costs have proven a downward development in current days, falling from Rs16,500-16,600 per maund to Rs16,200-16,300 per maund, inflicting concern amongst each farmers and ginners.
He additional famous that dependable nationwide manufacturing figures for cotton within the 2025-26 cotton 12 months will solely be attainable by the primary week of October after the total impression of rains and floods turns into clear.
In the meantime, Federal Commerce Minister Jam Kamal, in a gathering with a big delegation of textile mill homeowners in Islamabad final week, introduced that the federal government will quickly unveil a brand new five-year textile coverage aimed toward lowering sectoral challenges and boosting textile exports.
