Rahimyar Khan district took lead over the rest of cotton-producing districts by sharing 1.890 million bales to the total. This is the highest ever production recorded by one district in Pakistan's history.
According to the PCGA, 13.979 million bales were pressed at the ginneries and 13.030 million bales were sold to various stakeholders. Textile industry picked up 10.941 million bales, the TCP 1.581 million bales and commercial exporters 0.506 million bales.
The PCGA report added that ginners have 0.949 million bales in their stocks.
PCGA chairman Haji Ibrahim in his comments on the crop volume and arrival recorded at the ginneries, said that the figures are highly encouraging and strongly indicate to cross the official estimates of 14.6 million bales.
He said that bumper cotton crop would have positive impact on overall economic growth and help the government to achieve growth target of over 7 percent in the current fiscal year.
Haji Ibrahim lauded the government's policy of stabilising cotton rates in the open market through the TCP intervention. He said that the TCP intervention in cotton market as the second buyer directly benefited the growers who got good price of their produce and also the ginners by ensuring them reasonable margin of profit. The rates are ranging between Rs 2200 and 2300 per 40 kg, he said and demanded of the government to continue with the same policy.
The PCGA chairman also demanded that the government should not sell the TCP stocks in the local market till the end of the picking season and claimed that off-loading of the stocks would hurt the growers and ginners, and would be a negation of the government's declared policy of protecting them against any market distortion.