Why has Xinjiang become the 'western granary'

Special: Deep China

At the foot of the Tianshan Mountains, the once barren Gobi Desert has been transformed into China's "western granary." Covering roughly one-sixth of the country's total area, this vast land is helping address a global challenge—feeding a growing population with limited arable land—through remarkable agricultural transformation.

Amid global pressures such as shrinking farmland, water scarcity, and increasing extreme weather conditions, countries worldwide are seeking sustainable approaches to food security. Xinjiang, in particular, has delivered striking results: in 2024, the region produced 23.302 million tons of grain, with a yield of 524.8 kilograms per mu (approximately 0.067 hectare). This placed it first nationwide, exceeding the national average by around 130 kilograms.

These achievements are no accident. From a grain output of just 1.1 million tons and a per capita availability of less than 200 kilograms in the early years of the People's Republic of China, Xinjiang's rise to the "western granary" reflects a deep respect for nature, strategic use of technology, and a steadfast commitment to sustainable development.

Resource code: Water management wisdom in arid land

How can agriculture develop in arid regions? This question challenges many parts of the world, including the Middle East and Africa. Xinjiang's approach is simple but powerful: make every drop of water count.

With only 3% of China's total water resources, Xinjiang has still managed to achieve high yields across vast deserts and oases. Located along the fertile 40-degree north latitude shared by several world-class grain-producing regions, Xinjiang enjoys 2,600 to 3,400 hours of annual sunshine and a daily temperature swing of more than 12°C—natural advantages that support the production of high-quality, high-yield crops. What truly revitalizes this land, however, is the precise management of water.

"In the past, when fields along the canals relied on flood irrigation, farmers had to stay up all night waiting for water. Now, with precision drip irrigation, the amount of water used per mu for each application has dropped from about 90 cubic meters to around 35 cubic meters…" said Chai Shengbin, a dispatcher at the Water Management Station in Baojiadian town, Manas county, Changji Hui autonomous prefecture. His explanation vividly captures the shift from "people waiting for water" to "water being intelligently controlled."

This transformation is rooted in China's long-term investment in water-saving systems. From restoring the karez (meaning "well") system to promoting drip and sprinkler irrigation and advancing integrated river basin water allocation, the central goal has always been to unlock the full value of water resources. Today, Xinjiang has implemented efficient water-saving irrigation across tens of millions of mu of farmland, maintaining a dynamic balance between agricultural and ecological water use. During a visit to the "Remembering the Water Source" Exhibition Hall in Payzawat county, Kashi, Sule, a media professional from Niger, praised China's progress: "Xinjiang's experience is highly enlightening for us. I hope to help promote these practices in my country."

More importantly, efficient water use has fueled Xinjiang's broader development. Bumper harvests not only strengthen national grain security but also raise farmers' incomes and stimulate industries such as processing and logistics. "We are not fighting against nature, but learning to work with it in a smarter way." This philosophy of coexistence has enabled Xinjiang to increase agricultural output while protecting its ecological environment.

Technological revolution: From "labor-intensive" to "intelligence-driven"

Around the world, the high mechanization of American farms, Israel's precision irrigation, and Europe's "Agriculture 4.0" all demonstrate how technology is freeing human labor and pushing agriculture toward greater intelligence, efficiency, and sustainability. Each innovation brings a significant leap in productivity.

During the 2024 spring plowing season, in the wheat fields of Qigelac township, Wensu county, Aksu prefecture, Adiljan·Tuniyazi operated a plant protection drone to spray pesticides. After graduating from a university, he returned to his hometown and earned professional drone operation qualifications through training. Today, he earns about 130,000 yuan a year by providing drone-based crop protection services.

Across Xinjiang, a technology-driven transformation is reshaping agricultural production. The work of tens of thousands of people like Adiljan is redefining the value of agricultural labor.

Smart water and fertilizer systems have fundamentally changed traditional farming practices. Using drip and sprinkler irrigation technologies, along with soil sensors and 5G-enabled Internet of Things systems, these tools deliver water and fertilizer directly to plant roots and automatically regulate supply, sharply reducing irrigation water use. By March 2025, high-efficiency water-saving irrigation in Xinjiang had reached 74.16 million mu (4.944 million hectares), and the effective utilization coefficient of farmland irrigation water had risen to 0.582. Through the widespread use of integrated smart water and fertilizer technologies, each mu of arable land can save 15.1 to 19.4 kilograms of fertilizer and 37 to 43 cubic meters of water, achieving comprehensive benefits that save water, fertilizer, and labor.

Comprehensive mechanization now spans the entire agricultural production chain. Tractors equipped with BeiDou navigation systems enable centimeter-level precision seeding, plant protection drones provide efficient pesticide application, and smart cotton pickers automate the harvest. In 2024, Xinjiang's comprehensive mechanization rate for crop farming reached 90.28%, with wheat mechanization at 99.5% and machine picking for cotton at 97%. These technologies have freed a new generation of farmers from heavy manual labor, allowing them to take on service orders using professional skills and increase their income.

The development and selection of high-quality crop varieties have strengthened the foundation of modern agriculture. "Yuanmian 8," a cotton variety bred by the Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, offers high yields alongside machine-harvestable traits. "Aidatou HZ001," a Helianthus annuus variety with short stalks, strong stress resistance, and suitability for mechanical harvesting, has been planted across more than 6 million mu (400,000 hectares). These varieties—often referred to as "agricultural chips"—combined with modern farming techniques, have made mechanized operations more efficient and consistently boosted productivity.

A report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations notes that the heart of agricultural modernization lies in the shift from physical labor to knowledge-based work—a transformation fully reflected in Xinjiang's experience.

Green transformation: A path to sustainable development

How can grain production increase while protecting the ecological environment? This question challenges agriculture worldwide. The European Union's "Farm to Fork" strategy, Israel's water-saving agriculture, and Japan's eco-agriculture all offer different attempts at solving it. Xinjiang has charted its own path toward green development, defined by resource efficiency, environmental protection, and ecological conservation.

A green production system has strengthened the sustainability of Xinjiang's agricultural growth. The extensive use of plant protection drones for precise pesticide application has reduced pesticide use by 15% to 20% while improving efficiency more than twentyfold. The comprehensive utilization rate of straw has reached 95%, and the utilization rate of livestock and poultry manure exceeds 80%, effectively turning field waste into valuable resources. Large-scale adoption of soil testing for targeted fertilization and water-fertilizer integration technology has cut chemical fertilizer use by more than 20%, reducing costs and significantly lowering the risk of soil pollution. These efforts have curbed agricultural non-point source pollution, improved soil structure, and revitalized farmland ecosystems.

Ecological water supply has provided lasting momentum for agriculture. In 2024, Xinjiang's ecological water supply increased by 4.58 billion cubic meters compared with 2021. Water deliveries to the lower reaches of the Tarim River have restored flow to previously dried-up channels, and the radius of populus euphratica forests receiving water has expanded from less than 1 kilometer to 5 kilometers, extending the green corridor through the desert. Agricultural production and ecological restoration now reinforce one another, creating a virtuous cycle.

The development of high-standard farmlands has reshaped the foundation of Xinjiang's agricultural ecosystem. By 2024, the region had built 59.89 million mu (about 3,992,667 hectares) of high-standard farmlands, accounting for 56.7% of its total arable land. Equipped with water-saving facilities and ecological shelterbelts, these farmlands form a modern agricultural layout of neatly divided fields, connected forests, integrated canal systems, and linked roads. They have saved 70 to 100 cubic meters of water per mu, increased wheat yields by more than 5%, and boosted corn yields by more than 20%. At the same time, they have strengthened ecological barriers against wind and sand, helping protect the region's hard-won fertile land.

Xinjiang's experience shows that food security and ecological protection are not in conflict. Through the adoption of water-saving technologies, ecological restoration initiatives, and circular agriculture, the region has increased grain production while making the land greener, the water clearer, and the soil more fertile—fully aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of "Zero Hunger" and "Life on Land."

Xinjiang's achievements belong not only to China but also offer insights for the world. As one group of foreign journalists remarked, "This valuable development experience deserves to be seen by the world, and we want to bring it home."

The views don't necessarily reflect those of DeepChina.

The authors are Ye Xiaoqin, associate professor at Law School of Shihezi University, director of the Border Area Social Governance and Construction Research Center, and graduate supervisor; and Song Zichen, a Social Work major of the Class of 2022 of Law School of Shihezi University.

Dong Mei

Translator/ Wang Li