The Cotton Crop Assessment Committee (CCAC) has placed this year s cotton crop size at 12.5 million bales, says an official statement. The committee noted that the Punjab province will produce 10.05 million bales, the Sindh province 2.35 million bales and the Balochistan province and North West Frontier Province 0.1 million bales. The committee reviewed the current cotton situation and noted that cotton arrivals as on December 15, 2006 were estimated at 10.228 million bales as against 10.219 million bales on the same date last year, thus showing an increasing trend. Based on the feedback provided by the provincial agriculture departments and the private sector stakeholder, the committee anticipated a higher crop in 2006-07 than the last year. The committee was informed that last year (2005-06) the cotton production was placed at 12.6 million bales while working out the GDP. The committee expressed satisfaction on the prevailing prices of seed cotton being availed by the farmers which were much higher than the intervention price level of Rs 1025 per 40 kgs.
