Cotton planting area in the Aksu Prefecture has increased, while yield per unit area has declined year on year.

2019-03-27

　　Recently, a fact-finding delegation from the China National Cotton Information Center and the Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange visited the Aksu Prefecture to conduct on-site research. This year, the total cotton‑planted area in the Aksu Prefecture stands at 7.5216 million mu, compared with 7.2918 million mu last year, an increase of 229,800 mu, or 3.15%.

　　According to reports, the Aksu Prefecture is Xinjiang’s largest cotton-producing region, with the main cotton-growing areas concentrated in Kuche County, Xinhe County, and Shaya County, which account for roughly 70% of the prefecture’s total output. In 2017, Kuche County’s cotton planting area is expected to reach 1.2 million mu, an increase of nearly 20% year on year, and overall crop conditions remain favorable. However, this year’s cotton faced severe damage during the sowing period—primarily due to two windstorms and heavy rainfall—which have resulted in a germination rate far below last year’s level, raising concerns about a potential decline in per-unit yields.

　　This year, the Xinhe region has planted cotton on approximately 980,000 mu, compared with 968,000 mu last year, an increase of 10,000 to 20,000 mu, or about 1.2%. Of this area, 50,000 mu is dedicated to mechanically harvested cotton. Cotton emergence this year has been poor: the batch sown at the end of March has a germination rate of around 50%, while the batch sown in early April shows a germination rate of about 70%. Both batches have now been replanted. Overall, cotton growth is weaker than last year, with roughly three flower buds per plant.

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