Pakistan’s cotton season has begun on a strong note, with fresh crop arrivals at ginning factories rising sharply from a year ago as both farmers and textile mills entered the new season with greater activity.
According to the latest figures released by the Pakistan Cotton Ginners’ Association (PCGA), cotton arrivals reached 527,900 bales by July 15, 2026, marking a 77.3 percent increase from 297,751 bales received during the same period last year.
The strong start has also kept the textile sector busy. Out of the total arrivals, 445,779 bales have already been sold, with local textile mills buying 444,379 bales. Exporters and traders purchased another 1,400 bales, while the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) did not make any purchases during the period.
Factories have pressed 466,925 bales into cotton bales so far. Another 60,975 bales are still waiting to be ginned, up from 36,892 bales recorded at the same stage last year.
Sindh once again emerged as the biggest contributor to the early crop. The province received 326,403 bales, more than double last year’s figure of 152,650 bales, reflecting an impressive 113.82 percent rise.
Punjab also reported healthy growth, with arrivals increasing 38.87 percent to 201,497 bales from 145,101 bales a year earlier.
Among districts, Sanghar remained the country’s top cotton-producing area, delivering 280,393 bales, up 115.63 percent from last year. In Punjab, Vehari recorded 41,367 bales, while Dera Ghazi Khan received 36,340 bales.
Strong gains were also reported from Bahawalpur and Layyah, where arrivals more than doubled compared with the same period last year.
Not every area saw improvement. Rajanpur posted a 14.29 percent decline, T.T. Singh recorded a slight drop, while Muzaffar Garh reported no arrivals after receiving 2,120 bales during the same period last year.
The PCGA said 218 ginning factories were operating across the country during the period, including 111 in Punjab and 107 in Sindh.
Despite brisk buying by mills, nationwide unsold stocks also increased because of the larger crop. Unsold cotton stood at 82,121 bales, compared with 47,771 bales a year earlier, highlighting the stronger pace of arrivals at the start of the new cotton season.
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