On August 4, the roar of farm machinery in Kalasu Village, Nalati Town, Xinyuan County, Xinjiang, marked the start of concentrated harvest for over 20,000 mu of flax. This timing is not significantly earlier than usual, but the launch signals that the supply window for 2026 domestic flax raw materials has opened. For the domestic textile chain that relies heavily on imported flax, developments in Xinjiang, a key production area, are becoming an important barometer for self-sufficiency in raw materials.
Event Background
The Ili River Valley, where Kalasu Village is located, is a traditional premium flax-growing region in Xinjiang. Thanks to large diurnal temperature differences and abundant sunshine, flax fibers produced here rank among the best domestically in terms of length and strength. This year, the local flax planting area remained stable at over 20,000 mu, but per-unit yield fluctuated slightly due to spring soil moisture. The harvest is concentrated in early August, about two weeks earlier than in the northeast, providing downstream mills with an earlier raw material connection window.
Nationally, flax cultivation has long been characterized by a "heavy north, light south" pattern, with Xinjiang and Heilongjiang as the two core regions. Xinjiang flax boasts a long-fiber rate 5-8 percentage points above the national average, making it irreplaceable in high-end textile applications. After the harvest kicks off, it is expected to be completed within a week, followed by drying, baling, and initial processing. The market entry of raw materials will directly impact flax yarn quotations after September.
Industry Impact
Seasonality of raw material supply is the most sensitive variable in the flax textile industry. Domestic flax yarn enterprises currently rely heavily on imported materials, and the concentrated harvest in Xinjiang will alleviate inventory pressure for some companies in the short term. However, the scale of over 20,000 mu is limited relative to the national demand of hundreds of thousands of tons annually, so its symbolic significance outweighs its actual supply contribution—it reminds the market that large-scale domestic flax cultivation still has much room for growth.
For downstream fabric makers, the fiber quality advantage of Xinjiang flax means more diverse options for high-end linen fabrics. In the past, high-end linen fabrics almost entirely depended on European origins like France and Belgium, but stable supply from Xinjiang offers a domestic alternative. However, domestic flax still lags behind European products in scutched flax yield and color uniformity, requiring technological improvements in processing.
From a price perspective, the concentrated harvest period typically suppresses short-term upward price movements. But this year, rising planting costs and increased transportation fees are expected to push the ex-farm price of Xinjiang flax 3%-5% higher than the same period last year. For buyers, locking in orders during the relatively stable price window is more cost-effective than chasing increases later.