CHINA’S cotton output this year stood at 5.618 million tons, down from 2022, partly due to unfavorable weather conditions in the major producing region, official data showed yesterday. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the yearly output was 6.1% lower than last year, while the overall cotton field area was down by 7.1% to 2.7881 million hectares. Meanwhile, the national average output per hectare increased by 1.1%. NBS official Wang Guirong said Xinjiang, China’s largest cotton-growing region, experienced unsatisfactory weather conditions such as lower temperatures, more rainfall in spring and long-lasting heat waves in summer, which combined with a drop in low-yield fields, resulted in a marginal per hectare production decline. (Xinhua) | 