Kayir Silayi, cotton planter of Yuli County, Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China’s Xinjiang

My name is Kayir Silayi, 32 years old, and I am from Yuli County, Bayingolin Monglian Autonomous Prefecture, where is exceptionally suitable to plant cotton for its comfortable weather condition and geographical environment. Recently, some western companies made up the rumor that there was “forced labor” in Xinjiang and used it as an excuse to stop using cotton produced in Xinjiang. How shameless they are! The rumor is an absolute lie!

My parents are cotton planters and we have been planting cotton on 30 mu of land. We also raises 150 sheep and the annual income is about 80,000 yuan. As a child of farmers, I witnessed the earth-shaking changes happening in cotton industry in our hometown. In the past, the cotton planting technique was not so good enough, the planting cost was relatively high, the working was rather difficult and we relied on much human labor in the whole process of planting cotton, including sowing seeds, spraying pesticide and harvesting and the like. Now, we are using more and more machines in planting cotton. Especially this year, we are using the high horse-power machines to cultivate the land, the unmanned aerial vehicle to spread pesticide, the one-way-package system to spray fertilizer and the picking-up machine to pick up ripe cotton. The whole process needs only two or three workers. Do we “force” the machines to work?

With the promotion of more advanced agricultural technology, we mastered more and more modern cotton planting technique and skill. The government assigns experts to give us instruction, so the cotton is better and better in quality and higher and higher in production.

Now, we are using more and more machines in planting cotton and the highest production for each mu can be 600 kilograms. Especially this year, we are using the high horse-power machines to cultivate the land, the unmanned aerial vehicle to spread pesticide, the one-way-package system to spray fertilizer and the picking-up machine to pick up ripe cotton. The whole process needs only two or three workers. Do we “force” the machines to work?

I tell these western companies who are making up the rumor and claiming to stop using cotton produced in Xinjiang: open your eyes wide and see clearly how cotton is produced in Xinjiang! Your wanton smear and groundless slander could not stop Xinjiang’s steps in prosperous development at all!