MULTAN - The arrival of cotton bales in ginning factories has observed 40.06 per cent increase in the country, disclosed a fortnightly break up issued by the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association here on Tuesday. As per the break up, a total of 918 ginning factories received 7,363,929 cotton bales till Nov 1 across the country, while the number of the bales received by the factories during the corresponding period last year stood at 5,257,810. Thus, a hike of 2,106,119 bales was observed in the country so far. The arrival of cotton bales at the factories registered 33.74 percent increase in Punjab, 51.30 percent Sindh and 63.65 per cent Balochistan. The ginning factories in Punjab received 4,424,848 bales till November 1 while the number of bales reaching the factories till aforementioned date last year stood at 3,315,300. Thus, a rise of 1,109,548 bales was recorded. Similarly, the ginning factories of Sindh province received 996,571 more bales than the last year. The figure of received bales during last year till November 1 was 1,942,510 while the same during current year stood at 2,939,081. The Balochistan province has so far produced 12,083 bales, making a difference of 7,500 bales. The sale of ginned cotton bales has also registered increase as 2,497,623 bales have been sold in entire country so far compared to 1,501,996 bales of last year. A total of 380,994 bales are lying unsold in ginning factories across the country out of which the factories of Punjab hold 348,619 bales and Sindh 32,325 bales. Despite protests and repeated requests by the cotton ginners and producers, the Trading Corporation of Pakistan is still out of market as it has not purchased even a single bale from any ginning factory in the country. The ginners have so far sold 5,435,309 bales to the textile mills besides exporting 462,039. According to the break up, as many as 192,536 bales arrived in Multan, 93,792 in Lodhran, 428,852 in Khanewal, 209,406 in Muzaffargarh, 138,577 in Dera Ghazi Khan, 218,276 Rajanpur, 65,038 in Layyah, 497,292 in Vehari, 359,060 in Sahiwal, 177,989 in Pakpattan, 43,000 in Okara, 26,600 in Qasur, 200,427 in T.T. Singh, 86,725 in Faisalabad, 102,100 in Jhang, 31,000 in Mianwali, 43,900 in Bhakkar, 13,800 in Sargodha, 535,178 in Rahim Yar Khan, 496,100 in Bahawalpur, 465,200 in Bahawalnagar, 328,500 in Hyderabad, 290,712 in MirpurKhas, 1,439,930 in Sanghar, 266,543 in Nawabshah, 153,950 in Nausheroferoze, 143,192 in Khairpur, 85,000 in Ghotki, 145,088 in Sukkur, 70,083 in Dadu and 12,083 in Balochistan.