KARACHI: Sustained arrival of phutti from fields of Sindh has enabled the country to harvest over 12 million bales of cotton so far, thereby giving bright prospects of higher production this season.

Official figures disclosed that cotton production up to Jan 15, 2010, stood at 12.239 million bales or 18.74 per cent higher over corresponding period last year when production stood at 10.322 million bales.

As a result of this, the country produced around 1.917 million bales more over the corresponding period last year.

A fabulous increase of cotton production in Sindh during the period under review has brightened prospects for the country to harvest over 13 million bales this season, cotton analysts told Dawn on Monday.

Most encouraging development of this season’s production pattern is that never in the past, sustained arrival of phutti was recorded for such a prolonged period, the analyst said.

As per past pattern, arrival of phutti normally starts to slow down from second half of the month of November, but this season for the first time, there is a sustained arrival, particularly in the province.

According to the figures, Sindh produced 4.123 million bales up to Jan 15, 2010, as against 2.801 million bales during the same period last year, showing an increase of 47.20 per cent.

As a result of higher arrival of phutti, the province has so far produced around 1.322 million bales more over the corresponding period last year.

Despite the fact that phutti arrival in the Punjab also stood higher by 7.92 per cent at 8.116 million bales, but there are indications that the arrival may slow down as compared with the previous fortnight (Dec 15 to 31).

This could also be verified from the fact that during the out-going fortnight the overall phutti arrival stood at 369,165 bales compared to 577,734 bales recorded last fortnight (Dec 15 to 31).

It is even more interesting that the spinners this season purchased cotton at much higher paces, thereby lifting over 2 million bales more at 10.353 million bales than the pervious year when they booked around 8.524 million bales.

Exporters also purchased somewhat higher cotton this season at 765,899 bales compared to 274,665 bales. However, unsold stocks of cotton lying with ginners stood higher at 1787,948 bales as against 1,121,018 bales in the same period last year.

Cotton analysts said that besides sporadic use of BT cotton seeds this season, the crop remained free from all diseases and no worth mentioning pest attack was reported from Sindh and the Punjab.