Cotton sowing declines

      ISLAMABAD, July 2 (APP): The cotton sowing in the country witnessed
declining trend as it decresed to 16 percent in Punjab and 12.6 percent in Sindh.
      In Punajb, cotton crop has been cultivated over 5,264,000 acre as
against the fixed targets of 62,00000 acre for the year 2012-13, showing an 84.4 percent achievement in the province, said Cotton Development Commissioner in the  Ministry of Textile Industry, Dr. Khalid Abudllah.
      He said that in Sindh province cotton crop was cultivated over
13,63000 acre as compared to 16,60000 acre fixed for the current sowing season.
      Over all cotton crop has been cultivated on 66,27000 acre as against
the set targets of 78,60000 acre which was down by 15.3 percent as compared to the sowing of same period last year, he added.
      Giving the reasons of reduction in cotton crop sowing, he informed
that squeeze sowing spell, severe shortage of water in addition to decreasing price trend in national and international cotton markets contributed to lower sowing.
      "Besides, it has reported that low cotton germination has been
witnessed in both Sindh and Punajb ", he added.
      Dr. Abdullah said that world wide cotton crop production was increased
but its consumption was decreased due to recession in global market which caused reduction in its prices in local as well as international markets.
      Cotton Development Commissioner said further informed that main cotton
sowing districts of Punjab including Dara Ghazi Khan, Rahimyar Khan, Rajan Pur and Multan have also witnessed less sowing as compared with the sowing of last year.
      Giving the overview of International cotton outlook, he informed that
beginning stock of cotton in international market was recorded at 9.31 million tons which was higher by 7.13 percent then last year.
      Beginning cotton stock was recorded  at 9.31 million metric tons in
2011-12 as compared to 8.69 million metric tons during the year 2010-11 , which was higher 9.31 percent.
      While, its production was recorded at 27.13 million metric tons during
current year as compared to the 25.10 million metric tons in the year 2010-11 which was higher than 8 percent.
      The total cotton consumption was recorded at 23.74 million metric tons
across the glob as against its last year consumption of 24 million metric tons which was down by 7.1 percent.
      The global cotton export crossed 9.12 million metric tons mark as
against its import of 9.14 million metric tons during the year 2011-12.
      Ending cotton stock was recorded at 13.72 million metric tons in the
year 2011-12 as compared with the 9.31 million metric tons of ending stocks last year.
      Dr. Abdullah attributed the world wide declining trend in cotton
consumption with global recession in the international markets, due to which
ending stock of the commodity also discouraged the growers for further sowing this year.