China : Cotton accounts for nearly 50% of Xinjiang's agricultural value

Due to its unique natural conditions, cotton growing has been the leading industry in Xinjiang. Xinjiang's cotton output has accounted for one-third of the national production many years.

In recent years, Xinjiang has increased cultivation of new varieties. Form 2000 to the present, Xinjiang has invested over 500 million yuan into new varieties development and optimization projects, and has completed more than 20 seed bases.

Xinjiang has constructed more than 20 million mu (one hectare=15 mu) of seed cultivating farmland, forming the integration system of seed, cultivating and promoting, thus bringing Xinjiang up to the leading level in the country with seeds cultivating, production and cotton processing. Now, cotton-growing accounts for 45 percent of Xinjiang’s total agricultural output value. About 30 percent of the income of Xinjiang’s farmers comes from cotton.

According to the latest data provided by the Statistics Bureau of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, the total lint output exceeded 1 million tons in 2006.

What is particularly startling is that the cotton lint yield of more than 700 million mu breaks through 140 kg, 78.5 kg higher than the national cotton lint yield of 61.5 kilograms.

Agricultural statistics prove that the implementation of high-tech at least increases the income of 400 yuan per mu. The planting area managed by one person is extended from 40 mu to 200 mu, labor productivity has increasedby 25 times.

Cotton yield of Xinjiang Corps has ranked the first place in the country since 2003.Xinjiang Corps makes use of only 9 percent of the country's cotton acreage, but produces one-sixth of the country's cotton production.

 
Fibre2fashion, News Desk - China