Mechanization of Xinjiang's cotton sector approaches 90%

A total of 2 million     1     (hectare) of cotton farmland in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region will be harvested by machinery rather than by hand, according to     2     region’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

The increase     3     (expect) to raise the mechanization rate of cotton production to 88 percent this year, as the region continues     4     (promote) mechanization in the whole process of agricultural production, the department said recently.

In Shaya county, many tractors can be seen     5     (busy) planting cotton fields, instead of lots of farmers sowing by hand, as spring temperatures rise.

Aksu, a major cotton-growing area in     6     (south) Xinjiang, saw cotton output of more than 1 million metric tons in 2020, making up about one     7     (six) of the country’s total, according to the local government.

“It is encouraging     8     a specialized agricultural machinery cooperative was founded in 2017 in Shaya to provide agricultural machinery and technology     9     cotton farmers,” said Ma Zhan-ming, head of the cooperative. “The cooperative can provide mechanization     10     (serve) during the whole process, from spring sowing to harvest.”