A cotton harvester is at work in Shawan City, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Oct. 8, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

China's cotton production saw a significant increase in 2024, driven by technological advancements and improved cultivation techniques, particularly in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The country's cotton production rose to 6.164 million tonnes in 2024, a 9.7 percent increase from the previous year, with northwest China's Xinjiang leading the growth, official data showed Wednesday.

The national growth was driven by increased planting area and improved yield efficiency. China's total cotton planting area expanded by 1.8 percent from 2023, while the yield per unit area saw a significant jump of 7.8 percent year on year, reaching 2,172 kg per hectare, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

This improvement in productivity played a crucial role in boosting the country's overall cotton output.

Xinjiang, China's largest cotton-producing region, saw a 3.3 percent increase in planting area to 2.45 million hectares. In contrast, cotton planting areas in the Yangtze River and Yellow River basins decreased by 1.6 percent and 13.6 percent, respectively.

Wei Fenghua, an official with the NBS rural department, cited stable target prices in Xinjiang as a key factor in encouraging farmers to increase cotton cultivation.

Xinjiang's cotton yield per unit area rose by 7.6 percent to about 2,324 kg per hectare, benefiting from favorable weather conditions throughout the growing season.

China is the world's leading cotton consumer and producer, and Xinjiang accounts for nearly 90 percent of the country's total cotton production. The region's dominance in China's cotton production has steadily increased in recent years, leveraging its natural advantages and improved irrigation infrastructure.

Xinjiang provides optimal conditions for cotton cultivation, featuring abundant sunlight, large day-night temperature differences, low rainfall, dry air and minimal pest issues. Southern Xinjiang, in particular, boasts a larger cotton planting area and better heat conditions than the north, making it the prime area for producing China's highest quality long-staple cotton.

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.

To promote high-yield and high-quality cotton production, Xinjiang has initiated several research projects in cotton breeding in recent years. The region has organized collaborations between leading seed companies and research institutions to accelerate the development of "all-round" new varieties through biotechnology breeding techniques.