Hebei Province is one of the large cotton-producing provinces in the North China Plain, and, along with Henan and Shandong, is one of the largest cotton producers in East China. For several years, the Hebei Reform and Development Commission has been making an effort to improve cotton quality. By the start of the 2006/07 season, the province had eleven new inspection centers with HVI classing machines -- 30,100 tons of cotton were classed and ginned in 225-kilogram bales.

The Hebei cotton crop, however, is still facing challenges in improving quality. 72.4 percent of the 2006/07 cotton crop classed Grade 3, 20.0 percent classed Grade 4 and only 6.7 percent classed Grade 2 (strict middling), but the staple length was excellent, with 92.1 percent of the crop 1-1/8" and longer. Foreign matter reduced the overall cotton grade, so the Reform and Development Commission has initiated a plan for the 2007/08 season to educate ginners on the need and economic importance of reducing foreign matter. The Cotton Inspection Bureau has started a training program for workers to reduce foreign matter before ginning.