ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Cotton production in the country might register decline in the season of 2017-18 owing to delay in harvesting and less supply of water in Sindh irrigation system.

Normally harvesting begins in March but this year, the Government of Punjab imposed ban on harvesting and asked growers to start from April 1. This delay will hurt cotton production, said Ahsan-ul-Haq, the chairman of Cotton Ginners Forum.

He said that Sindh canal system is facing worst ever shortfall in water flows and irrigation system has been disturbed a lot during the season.

The cotton had been sowed at 4.5 million hectares during the last season, despite lower sowing, this year the Federal Cotton Committee fix target area of 6 million hectares which appear to be unachievable.

The cotton production has been falling since last couple of years because in several key zones government has allowed groups to install sugar companies. These companies encouraging growers to sow sugar cane resulting in falling yield of cotton.

The textile companies would be forced to import more in 2017-18 as the cotton production target will be missed, analysts predicted.

During the current season, i.e. 2016-17 the cotton production stood around 10.7 million bales as against 2015-16 9.6 million bales of the previous year.