Liu Xunzhang, vice president of Xinjiang Junggar Yinfeng, said the cotton-picking season usually starts from the end of September or early October and lasts 35 days.

"To harvest 300 mu of cotton fields, it can save a cost of 600 to 700 yuan by using cotton pickers rather than hand-picking. In addition, farmers can increase their income by 20,000 to 30,000 yuan if they get trained and involved in the mechanized cotton harvesting operation," Liu said.

Ding Tongtao, a 24-year-old cotton picker driver and maintenance technician, has worked at Xinjiang Junggar Yinfeng for three years. He got cotton picker driving training for free from the company and now can earn 30,000 to 40,000 yuan during the 35-days cotton-harvesting season.