Over 50 square kilometers of cotton fields are producing a bountiful harvest season at a town in Toksun county of Turpan, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
URUMQI -- Cotton output in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region reached nearly 5.69 million metric tons in 2024, up 574,000 tons over the previous year, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The autonomous region contributed 92.2 percent of the country's total cotton output this year, hitting a record high.
The cotton planting area in Xinjiang was nearly 36.72 million mu (2.45 million hectares) in 2024, marking an increase of 3.3 percent from the previous year, according to the NBS.
The cotton yield in Xinjiang averaged 154.9 kilograms per mu in 2024, an increase of 7.6 percent year-on-year.
The adoption of modern agricultural machinery has further accelerated output. According to data from the Xinjiang Cotton Association, the mechanization rate of cotton planting in Xinjiang has reached 100 percent, while the mechanical harvesting rate stands at approximately 90 percent.
Since the 1990s, Xinjiang has gradually become the largest cotton production base in China. Cotton-related industries, including planting, processing and spinning, have become vital pillars for improving local livelihoods.
China's cotton production topped 6.16 million tons in 2024, a nearly 10 percent increase year-on-year.
