When the dew on the plants evaporates, she will pick cotton for the first time this year.

She arrived at the farm, located about 130 kms northwest of Xinjiang’s capital Urumqi, at the end of August, only to spend most of her first few days there plucking tomatoes.

“I prefer plucking cotton,” Xu, 42, a slim villager and experienced cotton picker from Central China’s Henan province, said on Wednesday.

“It’s free of dirt and much cleaner,” she added.

The farm’s 13,000-hectare cotton field, where Xu and an estimated 15,000 cotton pickers from outside Xinjiang work, accounts for only a fraction of Xinjiang’s total output.

For Xinjiang, a Uygur autonomous region in Northwest China that produces one-third of China’s cotton, the number of non-local cotton pickers will swell to more than 300,000 this year, according to official estimates.

The number has fallen from previous years, as Xinjiang reduces its cotton fields and uses more machinery to cut down on rising labor costs.

Now in her 10th year at the Xinhu Farm, Xu will earn 1.2 yuan (18 cents) for every kilogram of cotton she picks, about 50 percent higher than last year.

As a picker with extraordinarily adroit hands, Xu said she can pluck up to 180 kgs of cotton a day, enabling her to earn up to 200 yuan a day during the month-long harvest.

That makes her 44-hour train journey and three-hour bus trip to the farm worthwhile. Lacking other skills, she would otherwise be sitting around if she stayed in her home village after the summer harvest.

Widely thought of as arduous work, cotton picking requires workers to remain bent over in the autumn sun.

Like her fellow workers, Xu wears a cap with a long visor and carries large sacks with a strap around her waist, as she makes her way along the 100-meter rows of cotton.

Unlike some pickers, however, she does not wear gloves to protect her fingers from being cut by the plant. Years of experience have allowed her to move her hands freely among the plants without being hurt.

When half the sack is filled with cotton, Xu sits on it to continue picking.

“I then don’t need to stand and bend down all the time,” she said.
By sunset, Xu has done her day’s work and returns on foot to her lodge with the other cotton pickers.

Their agent, who is also from Henan province, brought heaps of flour and cabbage to their temporary home and hired a cook from their hometown to make meals for the 200 or so cotton pickers who live there.

“We have steamed buns and cabbage soup for dinner,” said Xu, apparently satisfied with life on the farm.

“It is a pity we don’t have a TV here,” she added.

 In 2009, the domestic cotton production is expected to decline, at 700 million tons, with the gradual improvement in exports of textile production, cotton production and demand gap has been expanded; Meanwhile, cotton prices in general will be higher than the previous year, but a large number of listing a number of new cotton the main producing areas are still downward pressure on prices.

It is understood that this year’s cotton pre-Miao Qing in general is better, but in late August to early September the Yangtze River basin consecutive disastrous weather, some impact on the growth of cotton. Ministry of Agriculture, the latest survey data show, this year’s cotton acreage of about 7592 acres, down about 1,000 mu, a reduction of over 10%.

National Development and Reform Commission Zhang Xiaoqiang, deputy director said, at present, the national cotton crop is growing basically the same as the previous year, if the recent weather conditions are normal, and strengthen the latter part of management, is expected to have a good harvest, the national cotton output is expected to 700 million tons. From the National Bureau of Statistics data show that in 2008, national cotton acreage 8640 acres, down 240 million mu; cotton output of 7.5 million tons, up has decreased by 12 million tons.

Prices, Zhang Xiaoqiang said that from the look throughout the year, due to cut production of cotton, cotton production and demand gap in the expansion of cotton farmers a higher price expectations, cotton prices in general are expected to be higher than the previous year. However, after the listing of large concentrations of new cotton, the domestic market, cotton prices are still downward pressure, especially in the higher concentration of Xinjiang’s cotton market, downward pressure on cotton prices higher.

Zhang Xiaoqiang said that the next step, the National Development and Reform Commission will further strengthen macro-control and maintain the basic stability of cotton prices and the market running smoothly. On the one hand, do a good job of cotton reserves control plans. If a large number of new cotton market fell over when the cotton price, timely manner through open bidding part of the cotton purchasing and storage. Such as market cotton prices rose too quickly, then throw in time savings, stable cotton prices to ensure the needs of textile and cotton.

At the meeting, reporters learned at the same time, from next year, the government will intensify efforts to promote small packet of cotton and its processing enterprises out of the market. From September 2010, the railway authorities to stop packets of cotton transport, the Agricultural Development Bank to stop providing loans to small packets of cotton processing enterprises, cancel cotton packet processing of cotton processing enterprises eligible.

Xinjiang is China’s largest cotton production base, the unfavorable factors like warm winter, less snow, low cotton price have led to speculation that Xinjiang will reduce large area of cotton cultivation.

The cotton industry occupies its important position in economic development in Xinjiang, due to several factors including advantages of natural resources. The cotton industry has become the “trump card” industry in Xinjiang’s economy development. In 2003, Xinjiang’s cotton production accounted for 30% of China’s total cotton production. From 1994 to 2004, the cotton yield, total output, and quality measurement all ranked No.1 in China.

Cotton has become a major crop and source of income in Xinjiang. Cotton production helps to increase farmer’s income, and the standard of living in the rural areas. This led to improved economic development and social stability in Xinjiang. Revenue from cotton and related industries accounts for 1/6 of the GDP in Xinjiang.

At the present time, cotton is Xinjiang’s most important cash crop.Environmental conditions in Xinjiang are ideal for cotton cultivation.