STORY: How agricultural mechanization spices up pepper farmers' lives in Xinjiang
SHOOTING TIME: Sept. 26-27, 2024
DATELINE: Oct. 15, 2024
LENGTH: 00:04:42
LOCATION: YANQI, China
CATEGORY: AGRICULTURE/SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of China's Xinjiang
2. STANDUP 1 (English): ZUZANNA ZAK, Xinhua correspondent
3. various of peppers in China's Xinjiang
4. various of Yanqi in China's Xinjiang
5. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): LAN ZHIZHONG, Pepper farmer
6. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): LAN ZHIZHONG, Pepper farmer
7. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): LAN ZHIZHONG, Pepper farmer
8. various of Ghazitjan Amar working
9. SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): GHAZITJAN AMAR, Pepper harvester operator
10. various of agricultural mechanization of China's Xinjiang
11. SOUNDBITE 5 (Chinese): WANG WENCHENG, Pepper farmer
12. STANDUP 2 (English): ZUZANNA ZAK, Xinhua correspondent
13. various of a company specializing in producing natural extracts, including capsanthin
14. various of agricultural innovation in China's Xinjiang

STORYLINE:

What comes to your mind when you think about red peppers?
Mexican salsa?
Indian curry?
Chinese hotpot?
Or even the rock band from the U.S.?

STANDUP 1 (English): ZUZANNA ZAK, Xinhua correspondent
"It might surprise you that red peppers are linked to cosmetics, especially lipsticks. How does a plant known for adding heat to your dishes end up being one of the key ingredients in your lip color? Let's explore these fascinating connections at a red pepper farm in Yanqi Hui Autonomous County in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region."

Xinjiang is a significant red pepper-producing region in China.

Located in a central basin in Xinjiang, sun-drenched Yanqi benefits from ample sunshine and extended periods of heat, creating the ideal climate for cultivating red peppers.

Typically, farmers plant pepper seedlings between April and May and harvest them from September to October.

Lan Zhizhong is a local farmer who started to grow red peppers in 2014.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): LAN ZHIZHONG, Pepper farmer
"I planted 200 mu (13.3 hectares) of farmland this year, and 150 mu (10 hectares) is for pepper cultivation. I have harvested most of them. The average yield may be more than 600 kilograms per mu (0.067 hectares). There are many varieties of peppers used for extracting pigments. We have planted many, and this particular one is superior. It has better disease resistance, color, and yield."

After the red peppers have been thoroughly dried, they will be sold at a price that is determined largely by their color value. The deeper the shade of red, the greater the value.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): LAN ZHIZHONG, Pepper farmer
"Generally speaking, dark red peppers are of high quality. However, some are too soft, like this one, which is not good. And this one, this is particularly great. People all say that peppers grown here are very good. (My peppers) have all been sold out. They are in high demand."

In recent years, there has been a steady increase in the use of modern machinery in Xinjiang's agriculture, including pepper farming.

SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): LAN ZHIZHONG, Pepper farmer
"We use advanced machinery for most of our work. The harvester is especially effective for harvesting peppers, resulting in fewer leftover stems. There used to be many (when harvesting by hand). Now, the stems are almost gone. It's very clean. In Xinjiang, many farmers use harvesters. It only takes one day and a half to harvest my 120 mu (8 hectares) of pepper fields here, whereas, by hand, it would take at least 50 people more than 10 days. Pepper harvesting is mostly mechanized. We even use machines to transplant seedlings, which speeds up the process."

Ghazitjan Amar is a local pepper harvester operator.

He's pleased with his job, which was made possible by agricultural modernization.

SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): GHAZITJAN AMAR, Pepper harvester operator
"I started operating the harvester in 2014. I operate it for two months every year, and the payment is quite good. I can earn about 20,000 yuan (about 2,833 U.S. dollars) each month, so the total for two months is about 40,000 yuan (about 5,666 U.S. dollars). The machine works very quickly, harvesting 100 mu (about 6.67 hectares) of land in just one day. I feel very happy. In two months, I can harvest about 3,000 mu (200 hectares) of pepper fields."

Thanks to agricultural mechanization and the cultivation of improved varieties, pepper farmers in Xinjiang see an increase in yields, resulting in higher revenues.

SOUNDBITE 5 (Chinese): WANG WENCHENG, Pepper farmer
"We can save a lot of costs by using machines to harvest. We also use drones to spray pesticides and remove weeds. As a result, peppers grow better. The yield has also increased, with improved color value. My income has doubled. My yield is about 700 to 800 kilograms per mu this year, with a net income of 2,000 yuan (about 285 U.S. dollars) per mu."

STANDUP 2 (English): ZUZANNA ZAK, Xinhua correspondent
"Tons and tons of red peppers are harvested in Yanqi in order to be utilized to extract a natural red pigment widely used in food, medicine and cosmetics. The locals call them 'lipstick pepper.'"

Producing the natural pigment connects farmers, cooperatives, and factories.

Throughout the process, tens of thousands of farming households have seen an increase in income.

The expansive pepper fields of Yanqi illustrate how agricultural innovation continues to change the region.

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