China unveils first indigenous cotton picker machine

After a nearly two months of field test, China’s first indigenous cotton picker machine was unveiled in Shanghai, according to a statement on the website of the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (STCSM).

 

In one hour, the cotton picker machine plucked cotton from 20 acres of land and the net collected rate was 95 percent, similar to that achieved by imported machines.

 

The development of cotton picker machine demanded precision because of different height of cotton plants. The cotton picker machine relies on intelligent sensor and automatically adjusts the angle of picking, and it uses just the right intensity to pick cotton.

 

Last year, China produced 6.84 million tons of cotton, according to the China Cotton Association. This means there is a market of up to 70 billion yuan for the new cotton picker machine.

 

At present, China’s cotton production labor costs amount to more than 1,000 yuan per mu (1 mu=0.067 hectares), accounting for over 50 percent of total cost of production.