According to the official sources about 3.4 percent of cotton crop has been damaged due to the recent monsoon. But the crop condition is satisfactory and the production target of 10.55 million bales is likely to be achieved.

The cotton crop was sown over an area of 3,040,000 hectares, of which 103,000 hectares have been damaged by the current monsoon rains, said a source. In Punjab, cotton was sown on 2,436,000 hectares, out of which 18,000 hectares have been damaged, showing 0.7 percent losses to the standing crop.

The total cotton area sown in Sindh was 556,000 hectares, of which 71,000 hectares have been damaged, registering a loss of 12.8 percent of the crop. The cotton crop of Balochistan suffered badly as 34 percent of the standing crop has been damaged. The crop was sown over an area of
41,000 hectares, out of which 14,000 hectares have been affected.

The sowing of cotton crop has been completed over an area of 3.039 million hectares achieving 106.3 percent of the set target of 2.860 million hectares for 2003-04.