STORY: Xinjiang cotton -- the epitome of modern agriculture
SHOOTING TIME: Oct. 23-29, 2023
DATELINE: Nov. 14, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:36
LOCATION: Xinjiang, China
CATEGORY: TECHNOLOGY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the super cotton field in Xinjiang
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): AI HAIPENG, Manager of cotton fields in Yuli County, Xinjiang, China
3. various of the intelligent machines and facilities
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): AI HAIPENG, Manager of cotton fields in Yuli County, Xinjiang, China
5. various of the super cotton field in Xinjiang

STORYLINE:

In recent years, advancements in agricultural technology have gradually become vital allies to the farmers of China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

From planting to harvesting, mechanization and intelligent facilities have been widely applied.

In Yuli County, Ai Haipeng and his colleague Ling Lei, both post-90s generation, oversee about 200 hectares of cotton fields, which used to require around 25 to 30 laborers to manage.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): AI HAIPENG, Manager of cotton fields in Yuli County, Xinjiang, China
"Our 'super cotton field' is actually an 'unmanned farm.' Different from traditional farms, we don't need a lot of laborers to grow the cotton. The two of us can manage the 200-hectare field with robots and agricultural AI. Robots do farm work, and AI assists us in managing all stages of farming."

Since 2021, Ai and Ling, both from XAG, an agricultural technology company, have been pioneering a project to boost the intelligence of the cotton fields in Xingping Township of Yuli.

This innovative endeavor has introduced facilities like soil sensors, weather monitoring stations, farming operation recording systems, and a digital platform integrated with the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) and agricultural drones.

Equipped with advanced technologies, the smart cotton field has achieved greater yields with lower costs.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): AI HAIPENG, Manager of cotton fields in Yuli County, Xinjiang, China
"In terms of farming cost, compared with nearby cotton fields, we saved about 6,300 yuan (about 860 U.S. dollars) per hectare last year. The output was about 750 kg higher per hectare. As you can see, we cut costs and increased output. So we could make good money.
We hope to continue to manage our smart cotton farm well in the future, increase the proportion of unmanned cotton fields, optimize the intelligent management system, make management easier, and attract more young people to return to rural areas and engage in the agricultural industry."

Xinjiang's commitment to agricultural mechanization is evident, with 100 percent mechanization in plowing and seeding, 80 percent in harvesting, and an overall mechanization rate of 94 percent in cotton farming, according to the region's agricultural and rural affairs department.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Xinjiang, China.
(XHTV)