A Long-Term Plan for Cotton Production
March 17, 2010 In a long-term view, to stabilize the development of cotton production in China, it is crucial to push forward the regionalized cotton layout, quality-based varieties, simplified cultivation and specialized governance, improve the organization of cotton farmers and further enhance the competitiveness of Chinese cotton.
1 We must consider energetically pushing forward the implementation of advantageous region planning. China has over 1,000 counties (farms) of planting cotton, but 65 percent of the cotton area is centralized in over 290 major counties (farms) of cotton production. Proper control over the cotton production of these major counties, or advantageous regions, shall mean controlling the major part of Chinese cotton production. Last year, the Ministry of Agriculture published the planning for the new round layout of cotton advantageous regions (for 2008 to 2015). All the local parties shall strengthen the implementation of the planning, firmly reduce the scattered and risk cotton regions, transform the mid- and low-yield cotton regions, stabilize the high-yield cotton regions and fine-quality cotton regions, enhance the construction of infrastructures and elevate the capacity of cotton production.
2 We must speed up the seed selection of breakthrough varieties. Currently, cotton varieties promoted for production have narrow genetic base, serious consubstantial trend and shortage of breakthrough varieties, and has seriously constrained the further elevation of cotton yield and quality. In the coming period, the State shall organize, through major special transgenic projects, the nationwide scientific research forces for cooperation in tackling problems, strengthen the innovation in germ plasm resources of cotton, speed up the seed selection of new cotton varieties with fine quality, high yield and high resistance and strive for obvious breakthrough in resistance against greensickness and improvement of quality.
3 We must push forward the professional governance of diseases and pests. Cotton diseases and pests are various in types, causing huge losses and having high technical requirements of prevention and control. Therefore, it is more urgent and effective to push forward the professional governance. According to the principle of governmental support, market operation, public volunteer and application as per local condition, major regions of cotton production shall focus on cotton to support the establishment of organizations for specialized governance of cotton.
4 We must enhance the study and application of convenient and simplified cultivation technologies. Cotton production deploys more labor, shows high intensity and has low mechanical level. In the current circumstance of massive transfer of the rural labor force, pushing forward the convenient and simplified cultivation is extremely critical for stabilization of cotton production. First, energetically promote a number of comparatively developed convenient and simplified cultivation technologies such as non-tilling and chemical control, simplified trigging, chemical regulation, under-film drip irrigation and improve the level of standardized production. Second, improve, as soon as possible, a number of convenient and simplified cultivation techniques such as seeding without soil and late fertilization. Third, put forth effort to resolve the problem of mechanization for cotton. In recent years, the cotton plantation density has been low mainly because of high labor-intensive transplantation and undeveloped transplanting machinery. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen research and development and promotion of cotton transplanting and collection machinery.
5 Finally, we must cultivate specialized cooperative organizations of cotton farmers. Cooperative organizations can be established to organize effectively hundreds and thousands of scattered cotton farmers, provide production service, improve the negotiation capacity for cotton marketing and operation and enhance the right of speech. It is necessary to strive for the support from governments and relevant departments, strengthen the support for specialized cooperative organizations of cotton farmers, guide the farmers with technical knowledge, competence and business capacity to set up specialized cooperative organizations, help the specialized cooperative organizations in establishing and perfecting the internal system and promote their healthy development.
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