Cotton arrivals reach 4.74 million bales as Sindh leads

National arrivals rise 6.88% as Sindh records 2.539 million bales against Punjab's 1.998 million; central Punjab arrivals fall 26.97%, with Pakpattan, Okara and Sargodha reporting zero arrivals for second consecutive year, while Kasur records just 1,200 bales Pakistan's cotton arrivals increased by 6.88% to 4.742 million bales by October 31, 2026, with Sindh Zone, including Balochistan, contributing 2.743 million bales against Punjab's 1.998 million bales, as the recovery remained concentrated in the southern growing regions while central Punjab recorded a sharp decline. According to the latest data released by the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA), ginning factories received 4.742 million bales compared with 4.437 million bales during the corresponding period last year, representing an increase of 0.305 million bales. However, the provincial breakdown showed that Sindh Zone, which includes Balochistan under the PCGA's reporting format, accounted for 70.57% of the national increase, contributing an additional 0.215 million bales compared with last year. Sindh Zone recorded total arrivals of 2.743 million bales against 2.528 million bales last year, an increase of 8.52%. The region accounted for 57.85% of national cotton arrivals despite having approximately half the cotton cultivation area of Punjab. Excluding Balochistan, Sindh's arrivals stood at 2.539 million bales, up by 0.162 million bales, or 6.82%, from last year. Sindh alone contributed 53.08% of the national increase in cotton arrivals. Balochistan recorded the highest percentage growth, with arrivals increasing by 35.41% to 0.204 million bales from 0.150 million bales last year, an increase of approximately 0.053 million bales. The province accounted for 4.30% of national arrivals and 7.44% of the Sindh Zone total. Punjab, meanwhile, recorded approximately 1.998 million bales against 1.909 million bales last year, an increase of 0.089 million bales, or 4.71%. The province contributed 42.15% of national arrivals. Despite the overall improvement, cotton production in central Punjab's non-core growing districts continued to decline. Ten districts across the Sahiwal, Faisalabad and Sargodha divisions collectively recorded arrivals of 0.159 million bales compared with 0.218 million bales last year, a decline of approximately 0.058 million bales, or 26.97%. The region's share in national cotton arrivals fell to just 3.36%. District-wise figures showed that Pakpattan, Okara and Sargodha reported zero cotton arrivals for the second consecutive year, while Kasur recorded only 0.0012 million bales. Bhakkar registered the sharpest decline of 61.71%, with arrivals falling to 0.006 million bales from 0.017 million bales last year. Jhang recorded a 46.23% decline to 0.006 million bales from 0.011 million bales, while Sahiwal's arrivals dropped by 31.94% to 0.059 million bales from 0.087 million bales. Faisalabad recorded a 25.97% decrease to 0.010 million bales from 0.014 million bales, while Toba Tek Singh registered a 25% decline to 0.039 million bales from 0.052 million bales. At the national level, Sanghar remained the leading cotton-producing district in terms of arrivals, contributing 1.21 million bales, followed by Bahawalnagar with 526,442 bales. Meanwhile, the latest fortnightly figures showed that cotton arrivals were increasing at a slower pace than the overall seasonal growth rate. Between October 16 and October 31, ginning factories received 0.661 million bales compared with approximately 0.641 million bales during the corresponding fortnight last year, an increase of 0.019 million bales, or 3.08%. The fortnightly growth rate remained below the overall seasonal increase of 6.88%. Punjab contributed 0.360 million bales, accounting for 54.5% of fortnightly arrivals, compared with its seasonal share of 42.15%. Sindh Zone contributed 0.300 million bales, or 45.5%, during the same period. The figures indicate that cotton arrivals from Punjab remained relatively stronger during the latter half of October, while the peak arrival period in Sindh had largely passed. Cotton Ginners Forum Chairman Ihsanul Haq said Pakistan had failed for the second consecutive year to record arrivals of one million bales in any fortnight during the peak September-October period. He attributed the decline in peak arrivals primarily to the expansion of sugarcane cultivation in traditional cotton-growing areas and the establishment of new sugar mills. Haq said unusually high temperatures across major cotton-producing regions from July to early November had adversely affected seed germination and fibre quality, reducing staple length and strength. The deterioration in fibre quality had also increased textile mills' reliance on imported high-quality cotton, he added. Despite the challenges, the current cotton crop could exceed six million bales, even though the cultivated area was smaller than last year. However, part of the improvement in officially recorded arrivals was attributed to the Federal Board of Revenue's enforcement of digital invoicing, which had reduced undocumented cotton transactions and brought more trade into the formal reporting system. Meanwhile, textile mills had purchased approximately 3.996 million bales, representing 84.27% of total arrivals, while exporters and traders purchased 0.098 million bales. Total sales stood at 4.094 million bales, leaving approximately 0.648 million bales in unsold stocks with ginners. The unsold inventory included 0.338 million pressed bales and 0.309 million bales of Phutti. Unsold stocks were lower than the 0.693 million bales recorded during the corresponding period last year, representing a decline of 0.045 million bales, or approximately 6.6%, despite higher arrivals. The decline in unsold stocks indicated stronger cotton purchases by textile mills during the current season.