LAHORE: The comparative cotton production in Punjab has seen a notable decline, standing at its second-lowest level in the last five years when compared to its share of national output, according to the statistics released by the ginners’ association.
As indicated in a biweekly report from the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) for the period ending September 30, 2025, ginning factories in Punjab have received 1.136 million bales out of a total of 3.044 million bales recorded nationwide, which has reduced its share to a mere 37.31 per cent.
Historically, Punjab has been a significant contributor to national output, previously accounting for about 65 per cent of total cotton production. However, the poor performance of this leading cotton producer during the 2025-26 season has negatively impacted efforts to boost cotton production across the country.
Even though Punjab has cultivated three times the area of Sindh for cotton in the ongoing season, its production of the silver fibre is still just over one-third of the total arrivals this season.
Data from the PCGA reveals that Punjab’s cotton production hit its lowest level in the past five years during the same period in 2024, dropping to 35.63 per cent. In 2021, Punjab’s share was only 38.9 per cent. It reached its highest point in 2022 at 52.64 per cent, marking it as the leading contributor to total arrivals only once in the last five years. The contribution from Punjab fell to 41.18 per cent in 2023 as Sindh experienced a significant recovery and increased its share.
According to the latest PCGA report, as many as 3.044 million bales of seed cotton have been delivered to ginning factories throughout the country as of September 30, 2025, marking a 49.24 per cent increase compared to the same period last year. Sindh province emerged as the biggest producer of the country, registering 1.907 million bales, which is a 45.29 per cent increase from last year’s corresponding period.
In Punjab, cotton arrivals reached 1.136 million bales, reflecting a 56.37 per cent rise compared to the previous year, when arrivals were 726,767 bales. Balochistan recorded arrivals of 112,200 bales.
District Sanghar in Sindh continues to reign supreme in cotton production, solidifying its position as the country’s top cotton-producing district. This fertile region’s favourable climate and efficient irrigation system make it an ideal location for cotton farming, earning it the title of the country’s cotton hub.
Sanghar produced 0.969 million bales, outpacing other major cotton-producing districts in the entire country. Bahawalnagar in Punjab was runner up with 0.207 million bales reaching at ginning stage followed by Sindh’s Sukkur with 0.202 million bales arrivals.
During the last fortnight, the textile sector acquired a total of 2,409,678 bales while exporters and traders purchased 94,800 cotton bales. The Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) did not procure any cotton in 2022-2023, according to the report. Currently, there are 539,931 unsold bales in stock, and a total of 501 ginning factories are operational across the country.
