The buyers made deals for second grade of lint on slightly higher price amid moderate traded volumes, fibre traders said. Forward deals also changed hands for better grades while firmness of physical prices provided weak sellers to fetch better bottom-line prices. Most of the stakeholders particularly buyers remained in holiday mood on scarcity of transport availability as most of the transporters were engaged in lifting sacrificial animals. Buyers with less liquidity bought better grades according to their immediate need while weak sellers withholding raw grade of lint offloaded their stocks on better price-parity level. Lint market sentiments remained modest on selective trading, traders at Karachi Cotton Association (KCA) said. KCA kept the spot rate at Rs 8,300 per maund in order to help stakeholders withholding raw grades to ward off minimal price level. During the trading session, mills and spinners in Sindh and Punjab stations purchased second grade of lint at around Rs 8,525 per maund, while sellers offered all grades of lint at around Rs 8,375 per maund to Rs 8,825 per maund in order to capitalise maximum returns on their proceeds. Secondary buyers in Sindh and Punjab stations made deals on competitive price at around Rs 7,950 per maund to Rs 8,375 per maund while private sector commercial exporters made deals for all grades in Punjab and Sindh stations at around Rs 8,000 per maund to Rs 8,675 per maund. Sellers withholding better grades of old crop offered produce in modest quantity on better price. Shortage of cottonseed might delay ginning activities in parts of Sindh and Punjab. In Sindh and Punjab stations more than 1,800 bales changed hands with more than 60 percent of Punjab’s share in trading. New York October Futures contract 2018 stood at around 85 cents per pound, December Future contract 2018 at 85.09 cents per pound and Cotlook A Index was hovering around 93 cents per pound. Published in Daily Times, August 17th 2018.