Pakistan’s cotton industry is deeply concerned after production numbers for the 2025-26 season fell far short of official targets.
Figures released by the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) up to December 15 show a major gap between goals and actual output, raising questions over planning and productivity.
The Federal Committee on Agriculture (FCA) had set a cotton cultivation target of 3.46 million acres in Punjab, aiming for 5.553 million bales.
In Sindh, the target was 1.556 million acres with a production goal of 4.040 million bales. However, the PCGA report shows that Punjab produced only 2.453 million bales, while Sindh reached 2.848 million bales.
Although Sindh had a much smaller production target 37 per cent below Punjab’s ,it surprisingly recorded 61 per cent higher output than Punjab by mid-December.
Overall, 5.3 million bales arrived at ginning factories nationwide by Dec 15, only a one per cent increase from the same period last year. In this period, textile mills bought 4.491 million bales, while exporters purchased 175,000 bales.
Cotton Ginners Forum Chairman Ihsan-ul-Haq questioned the FCA’s per-acre yield calculations, calling them unrealistic.
According to FCA estimates, Punjab’s per-acre productivity was set at 9.80 bales while Sindh’s was expected to reach 15.84 bales. He said it was difficult to understand how Sindh’s yield could be 61 per cent higher than Punjab’s.
He also criticised the FCA for setting impractical production targets every year, claiming they mislead stakeholders and damage future planning.
Meanwhile, the Karachi Cotton Association has been unable to issue cotton spot rates after its building was sealed by authorities last week.