China News Service, Urumqi, March 31st, title: Xinjiang cotton farmers tell how they grow cotton

  Author Hu Jiachen zealous forever

  In recent days, Xinjiang cotton farmers Reheman Reyim will get up early to see how cotton is planted in their cotton fields.

The unmanned tractor in the cotton field is pulling the planter, sowing the snow-white cotton, an important source of income for his family.

  As the temperature warms up, cotton planting in Xinjiang, China’s main cotton producing area, will begin. The cotton fields south of the Tianshan Mountains will enter the peak planting period in early April, and the cotton fields north of the Tianshan Mountains will also begin large-scale planting after the Ching Ming Festival.

Data map: Cotton farmers in Yeyungou Village, Yeyungou Township, Luntai County, Xinjiang Bayingoleng Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture (hereinafter referred to as Bazhou) are planting cotton.

Photo by Que Hu Re

  Reheman Reyim is a farmer in Kumboguzi Village, Anakule Township, Bachu County, Kashgar Prefecture, Xinjiang.

Bachu County is one of the main cotton producing areas in Xinjiang. The county has a planting area of ​​1.1 million mu. The local sunshine time is long and the climate is dry, which is suitable for cotton growth.

  The 55-year-old Reheman Reyim has been dealing with Cotton for more than 30 years. The word "change" is his biggest feeling.

He said that the fathers used to grow a variety of crops such as corn and wheat.

Except for self-contained food, the rest is sold in the market, but the income is low.

Later, agricultural technicians came to the village to guide the villagers to grow cotton.

Although the villagers are not proficient in the technology of planting cotton and the trial planting effect is not satisfactory, even so, the economic benefits are still higher than that of planting corn and wheat.

  Reheman Reyim clearly remembers that in 1985, he contracted 16 acres of land and planted 10 acres of cotton, and his income in that year was nearly 1,000 yuan (RMB, the same below).

"At that time, if you planted corn and wheat, the income would be about 300 yuan." For more than 30 years, Reheman Reyim planted cotton every year and experienced changes in cotton planting.

  "The quality of cotton seeds is getting better and better, and drip irrigation technology is used, and then the level of mechanization in the links of planting, spraying, and picking cotton is getting higher and higher. Coupled with government subsidies to cotton farmers, cotton growing has gradually become the first choice of our farmers. "Now, Reheman Reyim has handed over the cotton field to his son Turhun Reheman to take care of it.

  Aini Wusiman, a cotton farmer who has planted 3,000 acres of cotton in Bachu County, told reporters that in the past, it was necessary to insert benchmarks and wire for sowing.

Nowadays, through mechanized planting, the planting of 1,000 mu of cotton field has been completed in only three days.

The driver only needs to set the relevant data according to the seeding requirements, and the tractor will automatically drive according to the planned route under the guidance of the satellite navigation system and sow the seeds accurately and precisely.

  Aini Wusman said: “We grow cotton. From cotton sowing, watering and fertilizing to picking, every link can be mechanized, especially in the cotton picking link. The mechanized operation improves the picking efficiency and saves economic expenditure. "

  He calculated an account for the reporter: the cost of manually picking cotton per acre is between 600 yuan and 750 yuan, and the cost of mechanical picking cotton is about 160 yuan.

In addition, the maturity period of cotton is inconsistent, manual cotton picking requires three times, and the cycle is as long as one month; mechanical picking cotton takes less than one hour for one mu of land.

  At present, more than 5.5 million mu of cotton fields in Kashgar are being planted in an orderly manner.

According to the Kashgar Regional Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, with the popularization and use of agricultural planting machinery, large-scale and intensive management of agriculture, the cotton industry has achieved improved quality and efficiency.

  With the increase in cotton production, the life of Reheman Reyim has also changed a lot.

"After the income increased, the family raised more cattle and sheep. In 2016, the whole family moved into a new house and bought new furniture." Reheman Reyim said that the living conditions in the countryside are getting better and better. Education is guaranteed.

  After the day of spring sowing, Reheman Reyimuchang and his son discussed topics such as "cotton drone plant protection" and "drone spraying medicine". "I have personally experienced that as a farmer, you must become a knowledgeable and technically skilled person Farmers." (End)