Cotton Planting Area Increases in Aksu Prefecture, but Yield Falls Year on Year

2019-03-27

　　Recently, a research delegation from the China National Cotton Reserve Information Center and the Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange conducted a field survey in the Aksu Prefecture. This year, the total area under cotton cultivation in the prefecture reached 7.5216 million mu, compared with 7.2918 million mu last year, representing an increase of 229,800 mu, or 3.15%.

　　According to available information, the Aksu Prefecture is the largest cotton-producing region in Xinjiang, with the main cotton-growing areas being Kuche County, Xinhe County, and Shaya County, which account for 70% of the prefecture’s total cotton output. In 2017, Kuche County is expected to plant cotton on 1.2 million mu, an increase of nearly 20% year on year, and overall crop development is currently favorable. However, this year cotton planting was severely affected by two windstorms and heavy rainfall, resulting in a seedling emergence rate far lower than last year and raising concerns about a decline in per-unit yield.

　　This year, the planting area in the Xinhe region is approximately 980,000 mu, compared with 968,000 mu last year, representing an increase of about 10,000 to 20,000 mu, or roughly 1.2%. Of this, 50,000 mu are planted with mechanically harvested cotton. This year, cotton emergence has been relatively poor: the batch sown at the end of March has an emergence rate of about 50%, while the batch sown in early April has an emergence rate of about 70%. Both batches have now been replanted. Overall, cotton growth is weaker than last year, with about three bolls per plant currently forming.

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