Original source (on modern site)
Workers load cotton onto a tractor trolley in Bahawalpur.—APP
LAHORE: Driven by exceptionally favourable weather, Pakistan's cotton arrivals surged unexpectedly by 27 per cent to nearly 1.7 million bales as of Aug 31, significantly improving crop quality and reducing reliance on imports. According to data released by the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association and endorsed by officials at the Central Cotton Research Institute in Multan, nationwide cotton arrivals totalled 1,696,451 bales, compared with 1,335,632 bales in the same period last year. The surge is largely attributed to dry weather, lower night-time temperatures, and favourable southerly winds, which improved per-acre yields and drastically reduced trash and moisture content in the yield. Provincial figures show that Sindh leads the recovery with 1,139,374 bales — a 31pc increase — while Sanghar district takes the top spot nationally with 757,845 bales. Meanwhile, Punjab reported 557,097 bales, marking a nearly 20pc year-on-year rise. Commercial activity has naturally kept pace with high output, as local textile mills purchased a record 975,000 bales from ginning factories — a 34pc increase on last year — while exporters acquired 70,600 bales. The number of operational ginning factories across the country rose to 332 units to process the incoming yield. Despite the bumper harvest, serious industry challenges are emerging on multiple fronts. Cotton Ginners Forum Chairman Ihsanul Haq raised alarms about a growing trend among certain ginners of mixing cotton waste into pure cotton, warning failure to immediately curb this practice will compromise lint quality and damage Pakistan's reputation. Published in Dawn, September 4th, 2026 Follow Dawn Business on X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook for insights on business, finance and tech from Pakistan and across the world.