The cotton industrial chain in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has seen rapid expansion and upgrading in recent years, with more enterprises producing a wide variety of value-added products through cutting-edge technologies, resulting in more efficient production and eco-friendly products.
Xinjiang, where over 90 percent of China's cotton is produced, has been making tremendous efforts to upgrade its cotton industrial chain from mere cultivation to further processing, including dyeing and value-added goods production.
In Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, breakthroughs have been made in an economic and technological development zone in Korla, where cotton enterprises have turned their focus from producing treads to further processing.
"Washcloth is the final product of non-woven cloth we use every day, which is soft and skin friendly. We made it mainly with cotton produced in Xinjiang and the short fibers on cottonseeds. It is made through techniques like yarn spinning and further processing. It is widely used in daily goods such as cotton tissues, wet wipes, and facial masks," said Dai Qinran, deputy general manager of the Zhongtai Henghui Medical Sanitary Materials Company.
Some factories have upgraded their production process through an intelligent network, where numerous sensors can inform workers of the production situations in real time.
"Here is the sensor. It is capable of measuring the thickness of cotton mesh and identifying the breakages. With equipment as smart as this, we can find out the breakages in the shortest possible time," said Qu Li, a worker.
By discharging less sewage, using less dyes, and building more water treatment plants, dyeing companies in the cotton industrial chain are currently working to reduce pollution and lower their energy consumption.
"At the end of 2022, we built the water treatment plant right behind me. Our company is now adopting the salt-free dyeing technique in its production," said Wu Guofeng, deputy general manager of Huitongtai Dyeing Technology Company.
The cotton industrial chain in Xinjiang is set to produce more value-added goods, with the Korla Economic and Technological Development Zone targeting the textile and garment industry.
"Last year, Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture produced 1.14 million tonnes of cotton and now the prefecture is home to 112 textile and garment companies. This year, we estimated that the textile and garment industry will produce 12.7 billion yuan (about 2 billion U.S. dollars) worth of goods and create over 10,000 positions," said Duan Xueping, director of the local commerce bureau.
Xinjiang's cotton industry sees rapid expansion, upgrading of production links
