July 17, 2012
Hailstorms destroy China's Xinjiang cotton fields
Hailstorms that swept through China's western Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region on Friday and Saturday (July 13 & 14) have damaged more than 50,000 mu (3,333 hectares) of cotton, said local authorities Sunday (July 15).
A total of 50,110 mu of cotton plants and 1,000 mu of fruit trees were damaged in the western Xinjiang's Awat county, a county known as the "capital of cotton" in China, said county officials.
Large hailstones tore cotton leaves and bolls from the stems of the plants, said local farmers.
Located in the northwest of Taklimakan Desert where several rivers meet, Awat boasts favourable conditions for growing cotton plants and is famous for cotton production.
