ෂින්ජියෑං කපු නෙළීම ඇරඹේ

Xinjiang in northwest China enters cotton harvest season

Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China, the largest cotton-growing area in the country, has entered its cotton harvest season.

Xinjiang, with its abundant sunshine and dry climate, is China's largest high-quality cotton-producing region, with a planting area accounting for over 80 percent of the country's total, and the cotton output representing 87.3 percent of the national total.

Due to the different climates in southern and northern Xinjiang, multiple cotton varieties and different growth periods, its cotton-picking season continues until the end of October.

"We have planted 11,000 mu (around 733.3 hectares) of cotton. We estimate that the average yield this year should reach more than 400 kilograms, and there should be more than 500 kilograms in good cotton fields," said Ma Zhanhui, head of a cotton planting professional cooperative.

In Xinjiang, cotton is harvested sequentially from north of the Tianshan Mountains to the south, distinguishing it from other crops.

Wujiaqu City, situated in the northern region of Xinjiang, serves as a significant hub for cotton production, where cotton has seen robust growth this year.

"Based on the early yield estimates of cotton and the recent harvest situation, we anticipate a cotton yield of 500 kilograms per mu this year. Compared to last year, the yield per mu of cotton rose by 20 kilograms. In terms of total production, we can produce 300,000 tons of unginned cotton this year on 600,000 mu (around 40,000 hectares) of land, which is 12,000 tons more than that of last year," said Pan Ping, director of Fangcao Lake Farm, Wujiaqu City.

Cotton fields across Xinjiang are being predominantly harvested by automated equipment.

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