Total cotton arrival in Pakistan declined by 34.14 percent in the current marketing year 2022-23 (August to July) compared to the same period in the previous marketing season. The decrease is mainly due to heavy rains and floods in the main cotton-producing states last year that affected the current marketing season’s crop.
Cotton arrival was 49,05,097 bales of 170 kg in August-March 2023, down 25,35,471 bales compared to 74,41,833 bales in the same period last year, according to the final report on cotton arrival in factories of Pakistan as of April 1, 2023, released by the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA).
Monthly arrival was noted at 36,847 bales in March 2023 which was not comparable because PCGA did not record the arrival of March 2022. The shortfall in arrival recovered slightly in later months. Cotton arrival had a steep fall in the initial months of the season. Pakistan’s cotton arrival season runs from August to February. However, higher arrival in later months forced PCGA to record in March as well this year.
The state-wise accumulated arrival also highlighted the impact of floods and heavy rains until December. Cotton arrival in Sindh province, where floods had the greatest impact, was recorded at 18,76,842 bales during the current season, a decrease of 46.57 percent compared to 35,13,078 bales in the corresponding period of the previous season.
In Punjab, cotton arrival was 22.9 percent lower, with an arrival of 30,28,255 bales in the current season compared to 39,27,490 bales in the corresponding period of the previous season.
