Every autumn, it is the harvest season for Egyptian long staple cotton. The brilliant sunshine shines through the thin clouds and mist, sprinkling on the endless cotton fields in the countryside of Egypt, as if covering the earth with a dazzling golden veil. The reporter stepped into this magical land, with the rustling sound of a gentle breeze brushing against cotton leaves in his ears, and the busy and joyful figures of cotton farmers in front of him. They were hand picking "white gold" that carried hope one by one. At 2 pm, cotton farmer Said stepped on the damp soil with his rubber shoes, lightly touching the plump cotton peach with his fingertips. Inside the cracked fruit shells, the snow-white cotton fluff shone with a pearl like luster. This is the gift of the Nile River and the pride of Egypt, "he said as he picked a cotton, its long fibers pulling out slender silver strands in the afternoon sun. Exploring the cotton fields along the Nile Delta, the full picture of Egyptian long staple cotton from the land to the market slowly unfolded in front of the reporter. The Gift of Land: "Platinum in Cotton" has a long history. In the cotton fields of Adaidamon Village, Fakus Town, Oriental Province, Said, who has more than 30 years of experience in planting cotton, squatted down and pushed aside the soil at the roots of the cotton plants, showing the reporter, "Look at this soil, it is the fertile black soil left by the Nile River every year. You can feel the oil in your hand." His words confirmed the growth miracle of Egyptian long staple cotton: this valley and delta area nourished by the Nile River contains the growth code of Egyptian long staple cotton. Said explained that the Nile River floods regularly every year, leaving behind a thick layer of fertile silt and sandy loam on both sides after the flood recedes. It is rich in minerals such as potassium and phosphorus, as well as other nutrients. The potassium content is more than twice that of ordinary cotton fields, and the phosphorus content is even higher, providing natural high-quality fertilizer for the growth of long staple cotton and greatly assisting its root system development. In Egypt, people jokingly say that 'cotton drinks more water than humans'. The Nile River provides Egypt with over 55 billion cubic meters of irrigation water annually, of which 70% -80% is used to irrigate cotton fields, and the soil moisture remains constant at around 60%. In addition, Egypt has an average of 3000 hours of sunshine per year, which allows cotton to fully carry out photosynthesis, promoting fiber growth and development. The temperature difference of 15 degrees Celsius between day and night also allows nutrients to be fully absorbed and deposited. These have created unique climatic conditions for nurturing high-quality long staple cotton. At the local cotton research institute, researcher Mustafa told reporters that Egyptian long staple cotton is known as the "platinum in cotton" due to its excellent variety, tough texture, and strong wrinkle resistance. The main varieties are Giza 45, Giza 70, and Giza 86, with Giza 70 accounting for about 75% of the total yield. Said said, "Every kilogram of raw cotton needs to undergo 12 screenings to meet the requirements of Giza 70 standard." It is reported that the length of selected raw cotton fibers is generally between 33-43 millimeters, and some can reach over 45 millimeters, which is 1.5 times that of ordinary cotton. The dry breaking strength is 20% -30% higher than that of ordinary cotton, and the toughness is sufficient to withstand high count yarns; Even after repeated washing, it can still maintain a considerable luster and softness. Many brands of shirts and bedding are designated to use Egyptian long staple cotton, which is 50% -100% more expensive than regular cotton. ”Mustafa said that more than 4000 years ago during the pharaonic period, Egyptians used long staple cotton to make noble robes; In the 19th century, hybrid experiments were conducted to cultivate improved varieties with both resilience and yield. In 1860, Egypt exported over 100000 tons of long staple cotton, almost monopolizing the global high-end cotton market. Egyptian long staple cotton once became the "lifeline" of the British textile industry. At its peak, 40% of Britain's textile raw materials were Egyptian long staple cotton, which was a standard for nobles and luxury goods. At that time, there was a popular saying: "Without Egyptian cotton, British textile factories would have to close down!" The pillar of the economy: "Platinum" supports the industrial chain. The reporter walked into a textile factory in the Beni Suef Development Zone in southern Cairo, and the sound of machines roaring could be heard. The head of the textile factory, Mahmoud Karim, introduced that he has just finished processing a batch of high count shirt fabrics for export to Italy. We are the only country in the Central and Northeast Africa region with a complete textile industry chain, from cotton cultivation to ready to wear products, supported by over 5500 enterprises, "said Karim. According to relevant data, in recent years, Egypt's export volume of long staple cotton fabrics has remained among the top three in the world, accounting for about 10% of the country's total export value annually, and has been favored by many consumers. At the container terminal in Alexandria, northern Egypt, goods bearing the prominent logo of "Egyptian Cotton" are being lifted onto the ship. A shirt made of Giza 86 can sell for 200 euros, which is five times more than ordinary cotton products, "Karim told reporters." This premium effect makes the textile industry one of Egypt's most important sources of foreign exchange. "According to statistics, in 2024, the cotton planting area in Egypt will expand from 255000 acres (1 acre is about 6.07 acres) in 2023 to 311000 acres, and the output is expected to exceed 2 million Cantal (1 Cantal is about 45 kilograms). The vast majority of exported clothing is sourced from long staple cotton raw materials. At present, Egyptian long staple cotton accounts for about 40% of the world's total long staple cotton production, and the industry contributes 3% to Egypt's gross domestic product. Currently, the China Egypt Teda Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone is becoming a new hub for Egyptian long staple cotton to enter the world. Chinese companies are investing and building factories here, injecting new impetus into the development of the local long staple cotton industry. In the economic and trade cooperation zone, multiple Chinese textile enterprises have invested in building factories, forming a cluster of textile and clothing industry chains. The full process equipment from spinning to printing and dyeing has increased production capacity by 30%. The person in charge of the economic and trade cooperation zone told reporters that Egypt has globally renowned high-quality long staple cotton resources, and the cooperation zone relies on this resource advantage to focus on developing the textile industry. "We hope that more Chinese companies will come to invest and build factories, and help Egyptian long staple cotton sell to more countries and regions. Policy support: Multiple measures taken to help upgrade Said's smile this year is more than in previous years. The government's newly introduced acquisition price has more than doubled his income. Last year, long staple cotton sold for 5500 Egyptian pounds per Cantal (approximately 47.6 Egyptian pounds per US dollar), and this year it has risen to 12000 Egyptian pounds. Cotton with medium length fibers has also risen to 10000 Egyptian pounds, "Said told reporters. In April of this year, Egyptian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Transport Wazir announced that the government would collaborate with private enterprises to build two comprehensive textile industry cities, located in Minya and Fayum provinces, covering an area of 5.5 million square meters each, with an expected total investment of 3 billion US dollars, in order to further expand and attract international investment in the textile industry. The Egyptian government has also launched a series of supportive policies, promoting early maturing, high-quality stress resistant varieties at the seed end; At the planting end, train farmers to adopt international standard clean planting techniques; On the market side, by establishing a new trading system, cotton farmers can directly connect with global buyers to obtain greater profits. In terms of subsidy policies, in addition to significantly increasing the purchase price, the government also bears 70% of the irrigation electricity bill and provides an additional subsidy of 200 Egyptian pounds per acre for organic cotton growers. Currently, 15000 hectares of land in Egypt have been planted with organic cotton, with plans to expand to 50000 hectares within three years. In recent years, factors such as the decrease in Nile River water volume, insufficient labor skills, and global climate change have brought many pressures to the development of Egypt's long staple cotton industry. Our goal is to expand the planting area of long staple cotton to 750000 acres by 2030, and build three more seawater desalination plants to ensure irrigation, "Mustafa pointed to the new variety in the laboratory and said. Said stood by the cotton field, gazing at the Nile River. 'My father taught me how to plant cotton, and now I teach my son how to plant cotton. By next year, this land will be entirely planted with Giza 45.' In this land nourished by the Nile River, the story of 'platinum in cotton' is constantly being written. (New Society)