Xinjiang Cotton-Top Quality in the World
Chinese Xinjiang cotton is divided into two categories: fine cotton and long-staple cotton. Fine cotton is suitable for quilts, which is often referred to as cotton back core; long-staple cotton is suitable for textile fabrics. The higher the number of pieces, the better the handle and the more expensive the price. Xinjiang long-staple cotton is one of the top textile raw materials in the world, and its quality is second only to Egyptian long-staple cotton.
Xinjiang has unique natural conditions, alkaline soil, a large temperature difference in summer, sufficient sunshine, sufficient photosynthesis, and long growth time, which lead to more prominent characteristics of cotton planted in Xinjiang. Xinjiang cotton gets enough light, so it is bigger, softer, and whiter than ordinary cotton. Its quality is very good, and it is generally used in the production of national defense, medicine, and high-grade clothing.
Xinjiang long-staple cotton is of good quality. Its fiber is soft and long, generally 33-39 mm, up to 64 mm; its fineness is 7000-8500 M / g, width is 15-16 μm; its strength is high, 4-5 g / root, breaking length is 33-40 km; it has more twists, 80-120 pieces/cm. The softness, glossiness, skin affinity, air permeability, and elasticity of Xinjiang long-staple cotton are far superior to those of ordinary cotton.
Price of Xinjiang Cotton
Recently, cotton spewing has accelerated in various parts of Xinjiang. Some cotton companies in Korla, Aksu, Kashgar, Kuitun, and other places in northern Xinjiang have announced news of open-scale acquisitions. It is understood that the current water control of the seed cotton that is publicly purchased on a large scale is earlier, and the purchase of cotton from the artificially picked cotton fields is relatively small. It is reported that the price of cotton in southern Xinjiang is 5.8-6.0 yuan per kilogram and that in northern Xinjiang is 5.6-6.1 yuan per kilogram.
The output of Xinjiang Cotton
According to the report of China Grain Reserve Management Group, as the world’s largest cotton consumer and second largest cotton producer, China produces about 5.95 million tons of cotton in 2020/2021, with a total demand of about 7.8 million tons and an annual gap of about 1.85 million tons. Among them, the output of Xinjiang cotton is 5.2 million tons, accounting for about 87% of domestic production and about 67% of domestic consumption.
It is understood that Xinjiang’s cotton production is very high. Among them, Xinjiang long-staple cotton gets its name because of its long fiber, and it is produced in Xinjiang Turpan Basin, Aksu in Tarim Basin and other places. Xinjiang cotton output in 2020 has significantly declined compared with the previous year.
According to statistics from the China Fiber Quality Monitoring Center, as of March 21, 2021, white cotton accounted for 91.89% of the color grade, down 5.27 percentage points year-on-year. The average length is 28.58mm, a decrease of 0.57mm. Horse value a+B accounted for 68.14%, a year-on-year decrease of 15.33 percentage points. The average breaking strength was 28.09cn/dtex, which was a decrease of 0.43cn/dtex. The average length uniformity was 82.15, a decrease of 0.29 year-on-year.
The world’s top Xinjiang long-staple cotton can be used as a quilt, which is warm, breathable, and comfortable, and it is in short supply for many years. In order to meet domestic demand, China needs to import about 2 million tons of cotton each year. In recent years, it has actively expanded its import channels and strengthened cooperation with important cotton producing countries such as Brazil and India to ensure the stability of the domestic cotton supply chain.
Mechanical Picking Rate of Xinjiang Cotton
According to the 2020 data released by the Xinjiang Agricultural Department, the mechanical picking rate of cotton in Xinjiang has reached 69.83%, of which 95% of the cotton in northern Xinjiang is picked by machinery.
Xu Guixiang, deputy director of the Propaganda Department of the Party Committee of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, introduced that Xinjiang cotton production has long been highly mechanized. Even in the busy picking season, there is no need for a large number of “cotton pickers.”
At the same time, from the past to the present, Xinjiang has never existed and there is no need for mandatory mobilization for cotton picking. It is understood that during the nearly 50-day cotton picking season, the average cotton picker earns tens of thousands of yuan per person. In recent years, the number of Han cotton pickers has declined. This is mainly due to the continuous increase in the income of inland rural laborers and the continuous decrease in the number of people going to Xinjiang to pick cotton.
Xinjiang Cotton Price Trends In 2021
- On the afternoon of March 26, 2020, the National Development and Reform Commission announced the national policy to improve the target price of cotton in Xinjiang. In order to implement the spirit of the No. 1 Central Document in 2020, with the approval of the State Council, the cotton target price policy will be improved in Xinjiang from 2020. The target price level is 18,600 yuan per ton, which is evaluated every three years, and the target price level is adjusted according to the evaluation results.
- As China’s strategic material, cotton is insufficient for its annual domestic output of 5.5 million tons, and 1.5-2 million tons of imported cotton are generally needed to supplement it. In order to protect the domestic “cotton safety” issue and ensure the status of a major textile country, especially at the most critical moment in the context of the epidemic, China needs to stabilize the supply side.
- Due to the promotion of machine-picked cotton, the cost of cotton planting in China has dropped to around RMB 12,200/ton. During the field survey in the second half of 2019, most cotton farmers expected the subsidy price to be 14,500-15,000 yuan/ton. Therefore, maintaining the price of 18,600 yuan/ton actually exceeds the expectations of cotton farmers, and it is also sufficient to reflect the country’s determination to stabilize the supply side.
- A higher target price is tantamount to giving cotton farmers a “cardiotonic agent” and stimulating their enthusiasm for planting. Therefore, domestic cotton planting is expected to be relatively stable in the next three years.
