CCA cotton crop sowing and growing condition survey in May, 2021

According to China Cotton Association's investigation over 2306 growers and 12 major cotton belts in May 2021, the cotton planting areas are likely to be 43.366 million mu nationwide, down 5.66% year on year. By May 31, 2021, the cotton crop sowing progress has reached 99.75% nationwide, 0.19 percentage point faster than the same period of last year. Sowing in Xinjiang and Yellow River Basin has been complete, and that in Yangtze River Basin has been 96.37%, up 1.11 percentage point year on year. In Xinjiang, about half of the cotton crops are in the sixth-eighth leaf stage, and more than half of crops in Yangtze River and Yellow River Basin are in the fourth-fifth leaf stage. 

The cotton crop development is worse than last year, and the growing is slower than the same period of last year. Diseases and insect pests occurred slightly in different regions. The light, temperature and water in most cotton areas of the country are well matched, which is conducive to the growth of cotton. Drought, strong wind and rainfall in some areas are unfavorable to the growth of cotton seedlings. Some areas of Hebei, Hubei, and Jiangsu have seedling wilt and fusarium wilt. According to the survey, 43.84% of cotton are in the 6-8 leaf stage nationwide, 6.31 percentage points less than the same period last year. The incidence of plant diseases and insect pests was relatively mild, of which 65.91% were lighter diseases, 23.04 percentage points less than the same period last year; 74.54% were lighter pests, 8.91 percentage points less than the same period last year. Among the surveyed growers, 17.30% thought the growth was good, 26.70 percentage points lower than the same period last year, and 60.31% thought the growth was poor, 41.26 percentage points higher than the same period last year.