ISLAMABAD: The country is expected to produce 9.3 million bales of cotton this year, Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhr Imam said on Monday.

In a statement, Mr Fakhr Imam said: `We are on the course to meet or even exceed the revised target for this year of 9.1 million bales of cotton.

The total cotton arrivals as of October 15 are 5.208 million bales which are 94 per cent higher than the arrivals on the same date last year.

Arrivals in ginning factories in Sindh and Punjab are 99 per cent and 87 per cent higher than those of last year, respectively, Mr Imam said.

The expected production of cotton in Punjab will be 5.44 million bales, Sindh 3.50 million bales, Balochistan 0.43 million bales and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 0.004 million bales.

He said that hard work of cotton farmers as well as favourable weather conditions had helped with higher yields as well as production.

Higher cotton production this year will considerably increase textile output and exports, edible oil from cotton seed, cotton cake for animal feed, and fuel wood for rural households.

Income of cotton pickers, largely women, will also increase substantially.

Higher cotton production this year, with its multiplier effect on the economy, will boost the GDP. He advised farmers to pay close attention to clean picl(ing practices to attain higher cotton grades so that they could obtain import parity price.