Cotton imports set to surge as output drops 60pc

The local textile industry is bracing for a financial crisis in the form of costlier cotton imports due to a sharp decline in the domestic production, with the output unlikely to exceed five million bales this year. According to figures released by the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) on Thursday, total cotton arrivals at ginning factories as of Sept 30 stand at 2.039 million bales — a 60 per cent drop from the 5.025m bales recorded on the same date last year. In Punjab, only 171 ginning units are currently operational, down from 385 last year. The province has produced just 726,000 bales so far, marking a 65pc decline from the previous year’s 2.069m bales. In Rahim Yar Khan district, which historically led cotton production, only 12,000 bales have reached the ginning units, representing a steep 95pc drop from last year.