Wusu kicks off full-scale cotton harvest in golden autumn

Golden autumn brings a bumper harvest, as cotton picking gets underway in Wusu City, Tacheng Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. On September 23, 2026, Wusu City officially launched its full-scale cotton harvest, kicking off a bumper season across the vast cotton fields.

Photo shows a large cotton picker moves through a field in Wusu City, Tacheng Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

In the flat, contiguous high-standard cotton fields of Chepaizi Village, Chepaizi Town, Wusu City, Tacheng Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, white cotton bolls crowd the branches as large cotton pickers move steadily back and forth. From picking and gathering to transport, every step flows smoothly and efficiently.

Photo shows a large cotton picker moves through a field in Wusu City, Tacheng Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Villager Ding Keyuan of Chepaizi Village looked out over his hundred mu of cotton fields and said with a big smile, "The land is level now, and the cotton pickers work fast. I planted 100 mu (about 6.7 hectares) this year and it was all harvested in half a day. After the high-standard farmland renovation, the plots are contiguous and well laid out, watering is convenient, and the roads are clear, so large farm machinery can get in and out without any trouble. Farming is easier and takes less effort. The cotton grew well and is good quality this year. It is another bumper harvest."

Aerial photo shows a cotton field in Wusu City, Tacheng Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Upgrading agricultural infrastructure is what underpins steady output of grain and cotton and higher incomes. In recent years, Chepaizi Town has kept pushing forward with high-standard farmland development and refining the layout of agricultural production. Through projects that level land, dredge canals, pave road networks and upgrade water-saving irrigation, the town has continued to move its traditional farming toward modern, high-efficiency agriculture.

Photo shows a large cotton picker moves through a field in Wusu City, Tacheng Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Wang Tongfeng, Party secretary of Chepaizi Town, said, "Cotton is the town's leading cash crop. The town Party committee will keep a firm grip on all support services for the autumn harvest, coordinating farm machinery dispatch, field management, seed cotton purchasing and operational safety to ensure the harvest proceeds with high quality and efficiency."

Photo shows a large cotton picker moves through a field in Wusu City, Tacheng Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Cotton across 120,000 mu (about 8,000 hectares) in Toutai Township, Wusu City, Tacheng Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, has entered the peak harvest period. In the vast fields, silvery cotton ripple in the breeze as large smart cotton pickers shuttle back and forth, painting a busy scene of bumper harvest.

Photo shows a large cotton picker moves through a field in Wusu City, Tacheng Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Tabusi, deputy head of Toutai Township, said, "The township Party committee has made solid arrangements for all support services, following the entire cotton harvesting process, urging machine operators to work safely and in a standardized manner, and making sure every last boll is brought in. We are doing all we can to ensure a golden autumn harvest."

Photo shows a large cotton picker moves through a field in Wusu City, Tacheng Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

This year, cotton harvesting across Wusu City got fully underway in late September and is expected to wrap up by late October.

(The Media Convergence Center of Wusu City, Reporters: Yuan Xinwei and Tang Zhiyang, Correspondents: Liu Sifu and Ayakuzi)