Pakistan’s Cotton Production Faces Historic Decline Amid Record Heatwaves

LAHORE – A searing heatwave has precipitated an anticipated collapse in Pakistan’s cotton output, jeopardizing the nation’s textile sector and prompting the closure of numerous ginning facilities and mills across the country.

Soaring temperatures, the absence of rainfall, and severe canal water deficits—particularly in Sindh—have pushed the cotton crop to the edge of catastrophe. The unprecedented heat has caused extensive wilting and rampant pest attacks such as mites and lice, stunting growth and compromising fibre quality. This abrupt shortfall threatens a sharp rise in costly cotton imports.

Scarcity of cotton deliveries at processing hubs has driven market prices upward. Lint prices surged Rs400 per maund within a week, reaching Rs18,200 in Punjab and Rs17,700 in Sindh, with brokers forecasting further increases.

The environmental crisis is compounded by severe financial strain on the sector. Industry leaders cite an 86 percent sales‑tax burden on ginning that went unaddressed in the latest federal budget. In key cotton centres such as Tando Adam, Sindh, ginning factories have halted operations just a month after reopening.

Zero rainfall pushes crop to the brink; heat causes wilting, pest infestations

In Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab’s second‑largest cotton zone, locals are confronting a bleak milestone: for the first time in fifteen years, not a single ginning factory is operating by the second week of July. As textile mills continue to idle, industry analysts warn of a looming wave of mass unemployment.

In response to the extreme weather, the Punjab Agriculture Department has issued an emergency advisory. Farmers are urged to shorten irrigation intervals while reducing water volume per cycle, and to heavily spray micronutrients such as boron. Early‑sown crops should receive a weekly mixture of two kilograms of potassium nitrate in 100 litres of water to protect against heat stress.

Expressing deep frustration with the economic direction, Chairman of the Cotton Ginners Forum Ihsanul Haq criticised fiscal priorities. He noted that while many nations bolster domestic production, Pakistan has allocated over Rs800 billion to charitable schemes rather than industrial development. He argued that this capital could have fully revitalised more than 1,600 major industrial units in a single year. The forum has urged federal and provincial authorities to shift focus toward business growth, asserting that reviving industry is the sole sustainable path to repair the economy and end reliance on the International Monetary Fund.

Published in Dawn, July 13th, 2026

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