Bortala Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture is a key production area for early-maturing cotton in northern Xinjiang, with Bole City and Jinghe County both listed among Xinjiang’s 34 major cotton-producing regions. In 2025, the cotton planting area in Bortala approached 1.59 million mu (15 mu equals 1 hectare), with an expected lint cotton yield of 150 kilograms per mu, and total output projected to exceed 220,000 tons. 

Cotton yield per mu has increased from 200 kilograms to over 450 kilograms, with the potential to reach 500 kilograms, thanks largely to the application of modern machinery. Highly efficient and cost-effective, this model is favored by cotton farmers as it not only greatly frees up rural labor but also significantly reduces production costs. During harvesting, the machinery can simultaneously pick and pack, automatically compressing the cotton into large bales of about two tons. The whole process is mechanized and over 95 percent of the cotton is picked, comprehensively improving the quality and efficiency of harvesting. 

Dong Xilin, Party secretary of Xia’ertuore Village, explained that the national subsidy policies for precision seeding equipment and cotton harvesters have saved farmers money. They plan to use these funds to purchase new planting equipment, grow higher-quality cotton, increase yields, and strive for an even better harvest next year.