IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/ecanpo/v83y2024icp766-785.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

New mechanisms for increasing agricultural total factor productivity: Analysis of the regional effects of the digital economy

Author

Listed:
  • Hu, Yuanhong
  • Liu, Jing
  • Zhang, Shuyu
  • Liu, Yuxin
  • Xu, Haixin
  • Liu, Pengling

Abstract

The digital economy has introduced new ideas and methods for the high-quality development of agriculture, becoming a driving force for enhancing agricultural production efficiency. This manuscript utilizes balanced panel data from 1,503 counties and employs the three-stage DEA-Malmquist method to measure agricultural total factor productivity (hereinafter referred to as ATFP). Fixed effect models and mediation models are used to explore the impact and mechanisms of digital rural development on ATFP. The research findings indicate that both ATFP and digital rural development are increasing, although regional disparities exist. The eastern region has higher levels of digital rural development and ATFP compared to the central and western regions. Analysis using fixed effect models and mediation models shows that digital rural development has a significant positive effect on ATFP during the sample period, with rural inclusive finance and human capital playing a mediating role. The impact of digital rural development on ATFP varies across regions. It is more prominent in main grain-producing and main grain-consuming areas, and less significant in balanced production and consumption areas. Geographically, the impact is stronger in the eastern region than in the central and western regions. When categorized by the type of agricultural production, the impact is significant in livestock areas, while relatively smaller in planting industry areas. Based on these findings, it is recommended that local areas tailor their approach to digital rural construction and formulate agricultural production policies that leverage regional strengths and address weaknesses. Additionally, promoting the development of rural inclusive finance, cultivating digital talent, improving talent introduction policies, and expanding the rural digital talent pool are suggested to build momentum for agricultural development.

Suggested Citation

  • Hu, Yuanhong & Liu, Jing & Zhang, Shuyu & Liu, Yuxin & Xu, Haixin & Liu, Pengling, 2024. "New mechanisms for increasing agricultural total factor productivity: Analysis of the regional effects of the digital economy," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 766-785.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecanpo:v:83:y:2024:i:c:p:766-785
    DOI: 10.1016/j.eap.2024.07.017
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S031359262400184X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.eap.2024.07.017?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lin Zhu & Xuehui Mei & Zhengqing Xiao, 2023. "The Digital Economy Promotes Rural Revitalization: An Empirical Analysis of Xinjiang in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-22, August.
    2. A. Amarender Reddy & Mehjabeen, 2019. "Electronic National Agricultural Markets, Impacts, Problems and Way Forward," IIM Kozhikode Society & Management Review, , vol. 8(2), pages 143-155, July.
    3. Koenker, Roger, 2004. "Quantile regression for longitudinal data," Journal of Multivariate Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 91(1), pages 74-89, October.
    4. Rampa, Alexis & Lovo, Stefania, 2023. "Revisiting the effects of the Ethiopian land tenure reform using satellite data. A focus on agricultural productivity, climate change mitigation and adaptation," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    5. Shen, Zhiyang & Wang, Songkai & Boussemart, Jean-Philippe & Hao, Yu, 2022. "Digital transition and green growth in Chinese agriculture," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    6. Séogo, Windinkonté & Zahonogo, Pam, 2023. "Do land property rights matter for stimulating agricultural productivity? Empirical evidence from Burkina Faso," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    7. Yi-feng Zhang & Min-xuan Ji & Xiu-zhi Zheng, 2023. "Digital Economy, Agricultural Technology Innovation, and Agricultural Green Total Factor Productivity," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(3), pages 21582440231, August.
    8. Mingyong Hong & Mengjie Tian & Ji Wang, 2023. "The impact of digital economy on green development of agriculture and its spatial spillover effect," China Agricultural Economic Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 15(4), pages 708-726, July.
    9. Jiangfeng Hu & Xiaofang Zhang & Tingting Wang, 2022. "Spatial Spillover Effects of Resource Misallocation on the Green Total Factor Productivity in Chinese Agriculture," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-23, November.
    10. Zhang, Xiaoheng & Hu, Lingxiao & Yu, Xiaohua, 2023. "Farmland Leasing, misallocation Reduction, and agricultural total factor Productivity: Insights from rice production in China," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    11. Veronika Zavratnik & Andrej Kos & Emilija Stojmenova Duh, 2018. "Smart Villages: Comprehensive Review of Initiatives and Practices," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-14, July.
    12. Wolfert, Sjaak & Ge, Lan & Verdouw, Cor & Bogaardt, Marc-Jeroen, 2017. "Big Data in Smart Farming – A review," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 69-80.
    13. Lian, Xu & Mu, Yueying & Zhang, Wenyu, 2023. "Digital inclusive financial services and rural income: Evidence from China's major grain-producing regions," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    14. Xingmei Jia, 2023. "Digital Economy, Factor Allocation, and Sustainable Agricultural Development: The Perspective of Labor and Capital Misallocation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-19, March.
    15. Caves, Douglas W & Christensen, Laurits R & Diewert, W Erwin, 1982. "The Economic Theory of Index Numbers and the Measurement of Input, Output, and Productivity," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 50(6), pages 1393-1414, November.
    16. Charles R. Hulten, 2001. "Total Factor Productivity: A Short Biography," NBER Chapters, in: New Developments in Productivity Analysis, pages 1-54, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    17. Ito, Junichi & Li, Xinyi, 2023. "Interplay between China’s grain self-sufficiency policy shifts and interregional, intertemporal productivity differences," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    18. Meimei Chen & Libang Ma & Xinglong Che & Haojian Dou, 2020. "Identification of Transformation Stages and Evolution of Agricultural Development Types Based on Total Factor Productivity Analysis: A Case Study of Gansu Province, China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-19, August.
    19. Song, Yuegang & Zhang, Bicheng & Wang, Jianhua & Kwek, Keh, 2022. "The impact of climate change on China's agricultural green total factor productivity," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 185(C).
    20. Ying Tang & Menghan Chen, 2022. "The Impact Mechanism and Spillover Effect of Digital Rural Construction on the Efficiency of Green Transformation for Cultivated Land Use in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-18, December.
    21. Min Zhang & Chengrong Li & Jinshan Zhang & Hongwei Chen, 2023. "How Green Finance Affects Green Total Factor Productivity—Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-18, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Jinsong Guo & Yingjun Xiao & Weiyong Zou, 2025. "The Impact of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Emission Control on Agricultural Total Factor Productivity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-31, May.
    2. Ying Meng & Dong Li, 2025. "Digital Pathways to Sustainable Agriculture: Examining the Role of Agricultural Digitalization in Green Development in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-31, April.
    3. Yun Shen & Yanxi Jing & Yiyue Liu, 2025. "Unveiling the Spatial Coupling Dynamics and Coordination Mechanisms Between Digital Inclusive Finance and Rural Industrial Integration Development," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-25, February.
    4. Wu, Yaling & Wu, Bi & Liu, Xiaohong & Zhang, Shiwei, 2025. "Digital finance and agricultural total factor productivity–From the perspective of capital deepening and factor structure," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    5. Xiaohe Liang & Yu Wu & Jiajia Liu & Jiayu Zhuang & Tong Yuan & Ying Chen & Lizhen Cui & Ailian Zhou & Jiajia Zhou & Tong Li, 2025. "Leveraging Text Mining and Network Analysis for the Diffusion of Agricultural Science and Technology Policies in China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-26, April.
    6. Xiaoxia Zhai & Yongmin Luo, 2025. "Can Urban Internet Development Attract Labor Force? Evidence from Chinese Cities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(1), pages 1-16, January.
    7. Ran Xu & Qiangsheng Mai, 2024. "Study on the Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Survival Dynamic Evolution of Specialized Farmers’ Cooperatives and the Influencing Factors of Underdeveloped Areas in China—Taking Yunnan Province as an Examp," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-21, December.
    8. Jingyi Liang & Cuixia Qiao, 2025. "Digital Economy and High-Quality Agricultural Development: Mechanisms of Technological Innovation and Spatial Spillover Effects," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-28, April.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Haisong Wang & Yuhuan Wu & Ning Zhu, 2024. "Measurement and spatio-temporal heterogeneity analysis of coupling coordination between development of digital economy and agricultural carbon emission performance," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 19(6), pages 1-23, June.
    2. Jingyi Liang & Cuixia Qiao, 2025. "Digital Economy and High-Quality Agricultural Development: Mechanisms of Technological Innovation and Spatial Spillover Effects," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-28, April.
    3. Inanoglu, Hulusi & Jacobs, Michael, Jr. & Liu, Junrong & Sickles, Robin, 2015. "Analyzing Bank Efficiency: Are "Too-Big-to-Fail" Banks Efficient?," Working Papers 15-016, Rice University, Department of Economics.
    4. Linfang Chen & Huanyu Sun & Shenghui Zhou & Shixing Jiao & Xiao Zhao & Jianmei Cheng, 2024. "Analysis of Resource Misallocation and Total Factor Productivity Losses in Green Agriculture: A Case Study of the North China Region," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(1), pages 1-25, December.
    5. Surya Bhushan, 2021. "Labour Productivity Dynamics in Indian Agriculture: 2000–2016," The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Springer;The Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE), vol. 64(2), pages 371-388, June.
    6. Van Biesebroeck, Johannes., 2014. "How tight is the link between wages and productivity? : a survey of the literature," ILO Working Papers 994864443402676, International Labour Organization.
    7. Bert Balk, 2003. "The Residual: On Monitoring and Benchmarking Firms, Industries, and Economies with Respect to Productivity," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 20(1), pages 5-47, July.
    8. Stefano NASINI & Rabia NESSAH, 2021. "Endogenous Learning in Multi-Sector Economies," Working Papers 2021-EQM-08, IESEG School of Management, revised Oct 2023.
    9. Frederic Ang & Kristiaan Kerstens & Jafar Sadeghi, 2023. "Energy productivity and greenhouse gas emission intensity in Dutch dairy farms: A Hicks–Moorsteen by‐production approach under non‐convexity and convexity with equivalence results," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 74(2), pages 492-509, June.
    10. Valentin Zelenyuk, 2023. "Productivity analysis: roots, foundations, trends and perspectives," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 60(3), pages 229-247, December.
    11. Xia, Fan & Xu, Jintao, 2020. "Green total factor productivity: A re-examination of quality of growth for provinces in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    12. Jürgen Janger & Agnes Kügler & Andreas Reinstaller & Fabian Unterlass, 2017. "Austria 2025 – Looking Out For the Frontier(s): Towards a New Framework For Frontier Measurement in Science, Technology and Innovation," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 59289, October.
    13. Xingmei Jia, 2023. "Digital Economy, Factor Allocation, and Sustainable Agricultural Development: The Perspective of Labor and Capital Misallocation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-19, March.
    14. Jingbo Shao, 2024. "Green industrial policy and green development of agriculture—Quasi-natural experiment based on the Yangtze River Economic Belt in China," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 19(9), pages 1-23, September.
    15. Tuanbiao Jiang & Min Zhong & Anrong Gao & Guoqun Ma, 2024. "Do Factor Misallocations Affect Food Security? Evidence from China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-17, May.
    16. Zhang, Jiarong & Li, Meijuan & Shen, Zijie, 2025. "Evaluation and improvement of agricultural green total factor energy efficiency: The perspective of the closest target," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    17. Wu Zhao & Zhiye Liang & Binrong Li, 2022. "Realizing a Rural Sustainable Development through a Digital Village Construction: Experiences from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-26, October.
    18. Briec, Walter & Kerstens, Kristiaan & Prior, Diego & Van de Woestyne, Ignace, 2018. "Testing general and special Färe-Primont indices: A proposal for public and private sector synthetic indices of European regional expenditures and tourism," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 271(2), pages 756-768.
    19. Wang, Shucui & Peng, Ting & Du, Anna Min & Lin, Xiaohui, 2025. "The impact of the digital economy on rural industrial revitalization," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    20. Lei Zhang & Lili Xu & Mingzi Gao & Mingdong Zhou, 2024. "Can Agricultural Credit Promote the Green Transformation of China’s Agriculture?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-14, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:ecanpo:v:83:y:2024:i:c:p:766-785. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/economic-analysis-and-policy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.