Dunhuang: Cotton Harvest, Cotton Farmers Worry

At this time of October every year, it is the peak season for cotton picking, picking and buying in Dunhuang.

This year, however, things are quite different: cotton farmers are very happy, but the farmers in Dunhuang are not happy at all.

Last year, 1 kg and 8 yuan of cotton could only be sold for 5 yuan this year.

What is the reason? Li Jianjun, director of Dunhuang cotton market management office, told reporters that according to their understanding, this year's cotton market price is lower than the previous year's purchase price, generally between five yuan two to six yuan, which is different from the previous year's cotton price of seven or eight kilograms per kilogram.

Such a market situation makes many cotton farmers unable to accept it.

In their view, the cost of planting cotton has been increasing, while cotton prices are only five yuan, and farmers' annual pay is not directly proportional to their harvest.

In October 21st, Liu Yulong, the two group of Qinan village in Zhuan Kou Town, told reporters: "at this price this year, we can hardly earn money all year round, so we might as well go outside."

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In recent years, Dunhuang has intensified the adjustment of industrial structure, and actively guided farmers to grow special industries such as grapes, jujube, greenhouse vegetables and so on, and the cotton planting area has been decreasing year by year.

This year, the city's cotton planting area is 130 thousand mu, 15 thousand mu less than last year, and 100 thousand mu less than in 2006.

In spite of this, the planting area of cotton still accounts for 1/3 of the total area of the whole city.

Cotton prices directly affect the income of farmers' friends this year.

So what is the main reason for this year's low cotton market and the fall in cotton prices?

Li Jianjun said: "the main reason for this year's low purchase price is that the state has cancelled the temporary purchase and storage policy."

Liang, director of Dunhuang cotton products limited liability company, said: "one is the low price on the outside, and our country stores more cotton in the past year, and the cotton enterprises such as spinning mills are using cheap cotton, so the price of cotton is low. Now the state has cancelled the import and export market, and the lint price of the market will not be too high. The downstream enterprises will not accept it."

It is understood that most of the cotton planting in China is still a household production mode. The mechanization degree is low and cotton planting is directly invested. With the decrease of rural labor force and the increase of labor cost, the actual income of farmers planting cotton is less and less.

In 2011, the state started the temporary cotton purchase and storage policy to stabilize the price of the domestic cotton market, and to protect and improve the enthusiasm of cotton growers.

Although it has played an important role in stabilizing the market, the State Cotton store has made the country bear enormous financial pressure.

This year, the state cancelled the cotton temporary purchase and storage system which lasted for three years, which has become one of the important reasons for the reduction of cotton prices.

Liang En said: "cotton prices are not directly related to government departments. The state has always been more concerned about cotton prices, because it is traditional industries, but the price level is ultimately determined by the market."

The annual harvest is busy.

For cotton farmers in Dunhuang, this year's cotton prices are far from what they expected.

The prices of production materials continue to rise, the cost of cotton picking workers is high, and the cotton market is so sluggish. Cotton farmers have worked hard for a year, but there are not enough money to put into their pockets. This has become a real problem that the vast majority of cotton farmers have to face.

Since market economy has ups and downs is a natural phenomenon. Since we have no ability to change the market, we can only try to adapt to the market.