BEIJING, Dec. 25 -- China's cotton output this year stood at 5.618 million tonnes, down from 2022 partly due to unfavorable weather conditions in the major producing region, official data showed Monday.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the yearly output was 6.1 percent lower than last year, while the overall cotton field area was down by 7.1 percent to 2.7881 million hectares. Meanwhile, the national average output per hectare increased by 1.1 percent.

NBS official Wang Guirong said Xinjiang, the country's largest cotton-growing region, experienced unsatisfactory weather conditions such as lower temperatures and more rainfall in spring and long-lasting heatwaves in summer, which combined with a reduction in low-yield fields, resulted in a marginal per hectare production decline.

The harvest in the Yangtze River basin increased per hectare from a low foundation caused by persistent high temperatures and droughts last year, while the planting regions along the Yellow River also increased per hectare output due to improved management, Wang said.