Cotton laborers are picking cotton in a field of 133 km squares in Hami City, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. /Xinhua Photo

Even though heavy machinery has been deployed to harvest cotton, traditional human labor still plays an important part in the industry, as handpicking the cotton produces higher quality material. /China News Service Photo

Every year, from September to late November, thousands of female workers are recruited from the inland cities and provinces and sent to Xinjiang, which is the country's major cotton growing area. /Xinhua Photo

According to reports, these workers can pick about 200 kg of cotton every day, earning about 400 yuan (about 60 US dollars) per day. /Xinhua Photo