KARACHI, Nov 6: Cotton prices ended flat on Tuesday but rose to as high as Rs6,200 in the ready market in Punjab because of higher demand from millers for fine quality of cotton, which they feel might not be available in the coming weeks, brokers said.

The Karachi Cotton Association kept its official spot rate unchanged at Rs5,850 per maund after increasing it by Rs100 the previous day. However prices remained depressed in the ready market in Sindh where only 4,200 bales of cotton were exchanged at Rs5,550 to Rs5,600.

In Punjab, brisk trading was witnessed as 24,200 bales of cotton changed hands at Rs5,625 to Rs5,900.

The first meeting of Cotton Crop Assessment Committee (CCAC) was informed on Monday that during this season it is expected that as many as 12.66 million cotton bales would be produced across the country.

US cotton futures ended slightly higher but brokers said that there could be a brief pop higher after speculative investors cut their bullish bets by a third last week by increasing their short positions but weak supply-and-demand fundamentals show no signs of improving.

The following transactions were reported on the ready counter on Tuesday:

SINDH VARIETY: 1,000 bales, Shahdadpur at Rs5,600, 1,000 bales, Mirpurkhas at Rs5,600, 1,200 bales, Khairpur at Rs5,550 to Rs5,600 and 1,000 bales, Upper Sindh at Rs5,550 to Rs5,600.

PUNJAB TYPE: 400 bales, Kabbirwala at Rs5,900, 1,000 bales, Bahawalpur a at Rs5,900, 400 bales, Maroot at Rs5,600, 400 bales, Yazmanmandi at Rs5,625, 1,000 bales, Noorpur at Rs5,650 to Rs5,800, 1,000 bales, Rahimyarkhan at Rs5,700, 400 bales, Sahiwal at Rs5,700, 2,000 bales, Lodhran at Rs5,700 to Rs5,800, 3,200 bales, Haroonabad at Rs5,750, 600 bales, Hasilpur at Rs5,750, 200 bales, Fazilpur at Rs5,750 to Rs5,800, 800 bales, Vehari at Rs5,750, 3,000 bales, Burewala at Rs5,800, 400 bales, Chichawatni at Rs5,800, 800 bales, Ahmedpur at Rs5,800, 600 bales, Faqirwali at Rs5,800, 1,000 bales, Khanewal at Rs5,800, 2,000 bales, Khanpur at Rs5,800, 400 bales, Jahania at Rs5,800, 4,000 bales, Mianwali at Rs5,800 and 400 bales, Rajanpur at Rs5,900.