Xinjiang's economy rising; grain yields up

The Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region recorded a GDP of 1.03 trillion yuan ($152.23 billion) in the first half of this year, a year-on-year increase of 3.7 percent, the regional bureau of statistics announced on Friday.

The value added by primary industries stood at 64.19 billion yuan, up 2.8 percent; secondary industries reached 404.94 billion yuan, up 4.4 percent; and tertiary industries reached 562.23 billion yuan, up 3.2 percent.

At a news conference in Urumqi on Friday, Wei Hong, the bureau's deputy director, said that Xinjiang's economy remained stable but faced external challenges and relatively sluggish demand. She called for more work to consolidate the foundation for sustained growth.

Xinjiang's summer grain sowing area fell to about 1.03 million hectares this year, which is 78,400 hectares, or 7.1 percent, less than a year earlier, according to Qin Zixiao, deputy chief of the Xinjiang survey corps of the National Bureau of Statistics. The region ranked ninth nationally in sowing area.

As a result, total summer grain output was projected to be 6.42 million metric tons this year, down 422,000 tons or 6.2 percent year-on-year, remaining in sixth place nationally.

However, estimated per-hectare yield in Xinjiang reached 6.23 tons, up 58.5 kilograms per hectare, or 1.0 percent from last year, lifting Xinjiang to fifth place in per-unit yield nationwide. Wheat yield is projected to be 6.24 tons per hectare, up 60 kg year-on-year, marking the eighth consecutive year of growth.

Qin said this year's summer grain harvest saw less acreage and higher per-unit yields, but lower overall output. He explained that local authorities across Xinjiang have optimized grain sowing by reducing low-yield, low-efficiency wheat fields and grain-forest intercropping. They have been replaced with high-yield autumn crops, including corn. This shift is the main reason for the decline in summer grain output.

However, the expansion of high-standard farmland, more efficient water-usage facilities, wider use of improved wheat varieties, advanced cultivation techniques and generally favorable weather all contributed to the increasing per-unit yields.

Despite the reduced sowing area, Xinjiang accounted for 4.3 percent of national summer grain output, roughly the same share as last year, Qin said.