Pakistan’s Cotton Output Rises 1.5% in 2025–26 but Falls 45% Short of Target

Pakistan’s total cotton production for Cotton Year 2025–26 increased by 1.5 percent to 5.607 million bales, but remained significantly below the official target, falling short by 4.593 million bales — a gap of 45 percent.

According to a report issued by the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA), cotton output during the year stood at 5.607 million bales, compared to the national production target of 10.2 million bales set by the Federal Committee on Agriculture (FCA).

Under the target, Punjab was assigned a production goal of 5.553 million bales, while Sindh and Balochistan were collectively given a target of 4.627 million bales.

However, actual production figures show Punjab produced 2.693 million bales — 2.86 million bales (51.5 percent) below its target. In contrast, Sindh and Balochistan produced 2.915 million bales, falling short by 1.712 million bales (37 percent). Despite having a lower production target by nearly 17 percent compared to Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan collectively outperformed Punjab by approximately 7.6 percent in actual output.

Chairman of the Cotton Ginners Forum, Ehsan-ul-Haq, told *The Express* that textile mills purchased 5.188 million bales from ginning factories during the year, while exporters bought 178,000 bales.

He said total cotton stocks held by ginning factories, exporters, grain markets, and growers are estimated at around 400,000 bales, of which approximately 125,000 bales are believed to be of premium quality.

Due to limited availability of quality cotton, textile mill owners have accelerated imports in recent months. In the prevailing global environment, potential delays in cotton imports could push domestic cotton prices higher.

Local textile mills have signed import contracts for over 4 million bales this year, primarily from Brazil and the United States. Industry sources suggest that further import agreements may be made if global market conditions stabilize.

The PCGA report also noted that 62,300 bales of seed cotton (phutti) arrived at ginning factories during February, marking a record 348 percent increase compared to February 2025.

Currently, 67 ginning factories remain operational in Punjab, indicating that cotton arrivals are still ongoing. Ehsan-ul-Haq suggested that the PCGA should have released final production figures after March 31 to provide a clearer production picture.

He added that the FCA sets cotton production targets based on a standard bale weight of 170 kilograms.