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Determinants of Factor Misallocation in Agricultural Production and Implications for Agricultural Supply†side Reform in China

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  • Hongyun Han
  • Hanning Li
  • Liange Zhao

Abstract

Allocative inefficiency in agriculture is an issue puzzling researchers and policy†makers in China. Based on household data from the China Family Panel Studies of 2012, the present paper quantifies the potential distortions in China's agricultural production and examines their underlying determinants across regions. The results reveal that there are different levels of distortions across regions. The Middle region is facing the greatest distortion. Increases in machinery input, the proportion of non†farm income and effective labor input will reduce distortions. Household saving, farmland rent and farmland size are significantly positively related to distortions. There is a complementary effect between labor and farmland in alleviating production inefficiency, but substitution effects exist between capital and farmland and also capital and labor. The increase in farmland size will aggravate the impact of capital on distortions. Given the constraint of super small†scale farmland, facilitating land transfer is a necessary precondition for improving allocative efficiency.

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  • Hongyun Han & Hanning Li & Liange Zhao, 2018. "Determinants of Factor Misallocation in Agricultural Production and Implications for Agricultural Supply†side Reform in China," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 26(3), pages 22-42, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:chinae:v:26:y:2018:i:3:p:22-42
    DOI: 10.1111/cwe.12241
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    3. Li, Fuduo & Zhang, Kangjie & Ren, Jing & Yin, Changbin & Zhang, Yang & Nie, Jun, 2021. "Driving mechanism for farmers to adopt improved agricultural systems in China: The case of rice-green manure crops rotation system," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 192(C).
    4. Shichao Yuan & Jian Wang, 2022. "Involution Effect: Does China’s Rural Land Transfer Market Still Have Efficiency?," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-18, May.
    5. Hongyun Zheng & Wanglin Ma, 2021. "The role of resource reallocation in promoting total factor productivity growth: Insights from China’s agricultural sector," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(4), pages 2350-2371, November.
    6. Yidan Liang, 2023. "The effect of capital and labour distortion on innovation," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 63(2), pages 1709-1737, June.
    7. Xiaoli Zhu & Chenglong Li & Hong Zhou, 2022. "Cost Changes and Technical Efficiency of Grain Production in China against a Background of Rising Factor Prices," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-16, October.
    8. Shuai Qin & Zheying Han & Hong Chen & Haokun Wang & Cheng Guo, 2022. "High-Quality Development of Chinese Agriculture under Factor Misallocation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-20, August.
    9. Shuai Qin & Hong Chen & Tuyen Thi Tran & Haokun Wang, 2022. "Analysis of the Spatial Effect of Capital Misallocation on Agricultural Output—Taking the Main Grain Producing Areas in Northeast China as an Example," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-17, May.

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