20000404

Ginners losing

Rs 3.5 bn to

obsolete machinery

RECORDER REPORT

MULTAN: Despite a lot of modification in cotton ginning process like roller ginning, the country's basic industry is depending upon very old and outdated ginning machinery, which causing lack of quality of thread for national textile and entertaining the demands of international market.

Over 80 percent old sawgin machinery is being used across the country by ginners wasting about 450,000 bales of cotton which means a loss of Rs 3.5 billion annually.

However its quick production process appeals the ginners but it cut LMM staple length which means loss of Rs 100 per maund. Sawgin also reduces half kilogram raw cotton from per maund during process.

US made sawgin was introduced by two companies Murry and Lumus in 1952 when the country was surviving after independence. Sawgin pricking also damage the quality of fiber. The staple length is required as 29-35mm (long staple) as per international standard which can be possible in roller ginning. The strength of sawgin is only 26-28mm staple length (medium staple).

"Cotton ginning industry is being run on the philosophy of pushing and shoving instead of maintaining the quality", a yarn broker said.

Above three million spindles are working in the country, out of this one third spindle's speed is just 8,000 RPM. On the other hand the speed of new spindles is 18,000 RPM. This most modern machinery has been avoided to install in the country which is difficult to complete the old spindles.

The present sawgin is unable to meet the requirement of strength above 28 grams and the prime micronaire value between 3.5 to 4.8 as per the international standards.

The country needs 12 million bales for its economic survival. The requirement of local industry and exporters in medium and-medium long staple cotton is six million bales and two million bales respectively.

The half million bales of extra staple 34 to 36MM with 105,000 to 112,000 strength and micronaire value 3.2 to 3.7 are required by the local industry and the exporters. Local industry and exporters need four million bales of long staple 30 to 31MM with a strength of 98,000 to 105,000 micronaire of 3.8 to 4.4.

The sawgin ginning cannot fulfil all these demands of local industry and the exporters. A number of spinners were interviewed, they said Pakistan had already lost the far eastern markets due to low quality of yarn. India has entered the markets due to better quality of yarn.

The most modern roller ginning machinery has been installed by the ex-president of Pakistan Sardar Farooq Ahmed Leghari, Mohammad Siddiq Akbar Bukhari and former minister Mansoor Hayat Tamman.

According to cotton ginners association statistics over 733 factories of sawgin machinery are working in zone 'A', 342 factories in zone 'B' and 146 factories in zone 'C'.

The zone 'A' comprising Multan, Lodhran, Kasur, Jhang, Toba Tekh Singh, Faisalabad, Mianwali, Leia, Bhakkar. The zone 'B' Rahimyarkhan, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar. The zone 'C' Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, Nawabshah, Khairpur, Sukkur, Noushero Feroz and Dadu.

Over 60 per cent roller ginning has been using in India and 40 percent sawgin. The complete roller ginning has been using in Turkey, Egypt, Soviet states, Jordan and other countries of the world.

The exporters have asked the government to constitute a committee to reconsider the culture of sawgin ginning in the country.