Xinjiang Cotton Farmers' Problem: Fewer And Fewer Flower Pickers

　 Recently, data from relevant departments of the Labor and Social Security Bureau of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps showed that the Corps had introduced 475800 flower pickers in 2010, a decrease of nearly 100000 compared with 2009.

According to the reporter, the Corps introduced 579000 flower pickers in 2009, 100000 fewer than in 2008.

Decreasing year by year Pick up flowers The number of people has become a common problem for cotton farmers in Xinjiang, and it also has a direct impact on picking prices.

Qu Zuquan, a cotton farmer in Shihezi City of the Eighth Agricultural Division, said that last year the cotton picking price was 0.8 yuan to 1 yuan per kilogram. Now the picking price is more than 2.5 yuan per kilogram. It is hard to find people and may be more expensive later. "Fortunately, my 40 mu of cotton has been almost harvested, otherwise the picking fee alone would have increased a lot of costs".

Zhang Zhibin, a major cotton grower in Aksu, is not so lucky. "I have to drive from the village to the big bazaar in Wuluqile Town to recruit gardeners before 9 o'clock every morning, and people will be robbed if I go late," said Zhang Zhibin.

In the interview, a large cotton grower in Aksu Awati County told the reporter that he had planted cotton for more than ten years, and was not afraid of cost input. He was afraid that when the cotton was opened, no one would pick it up if he had money.

"It's like the feeling that gold can't be picked up on the floor." This Cotton planting The big family said that he planted thousands of acres of cotton this year, and the price of 2.8 yuan per kilogram was not enough to recruit people.

According to Li Jianjun, head of the Labor Management Department of the Employment Service Center of the Bureau of Labor and Social Security of the Corps, he has just investigated the employment of flower pickers from various divisions, and found that there were fewer flower pickers from other places and more flower pickers from Xinjiang this year.

"During the survey, I heard some cotton farmers say that because of the high price of flower picking this year, someone drove a private car from the city to pick up flowers in cotton fields during the National Day holiday." Li Jianjun said.

The price of flower picking is high. Why is it less and less attractive to the mainland flower pickers? Li Jianjun analyzed that this year Aid Xinjiang With the deepening of the work, many major projects have been started in Xinjiang, which has diverted some labor workers. In addition, affected by the cotton price this year, cotton farmers reduced the use of flower pickers from other places in order to reduce costs.

　 According to the reporter, the cotton planting area of the Corps this year is 6.8 million mu, of which 2.2 million mu is machine picked cotton. At present, the picking cost of machine picked cotton is 0.8 yuan per kilogram. Some large cotton growers also reduce the demand for flower pickers.