IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jagris/v12y2022i7p901-d843872.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Can Agricultural Machinery Harvesting Services Reduce Cropland Abandonment? Evidence from Rural China

Author

Listed:
  • Ping Xue

    (Institute of Agricultural Economics and Development, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China)

  • Xinru Han

    (Institute of Agricultural Economics and Development, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China)

  • Yongchun Wang

    (Agricultural Information Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China)

  • Xiudong Wang

    (Institute of Agricultural Economics and Development, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China)

Abstract

Ending hunger, achieving food security, and promoting sustainable agriculture are the main targets of sustainable development goals. It is well known that cropland resources are the most essential factor in achieving sustainable development goals. However, China has been facing the problem of a continuous reduction in cropland resources. Reducing the abandonment of cropland has become an important way to curb the reduction in cropland resources. Can agricultural machinery harvesting services reduce cropland abandonment in rural China? To answer this scientific question, this study employs the Survey for Agriculture and Village Economy data from 8345 samples of 12 provinces in rural China. The extended regression models (i.e., the extended probit regression model and the extended interval regression model) are used to empirically analyze the relationship between agricultural machinery harvesting services accessed by farmers and cropland abandonment. The results are as follows. Agricultural machinery harvesting services accessed by farmers significantly reduced the probability of cropland abandonment and the proportion of the area of abandoned cropland in farmers’ contracted cropland area decreased by 18.5% and 20.3%, respectively. Moreover, the heterogeneity analysis results showed that farmers’ access to agricultural machinery harvesting services significantly reduced cropland abandonment in small-scale groups, without elderly households, with nonagricultural income groups, and in the eastern region. This study also provides some policy implications for policymakers to reduce cropland abandonment in rural China.

Suggested Citation

  • Ping Xue & Xinru Han & Yongchun Wang & Xiudong Wang, 2022. "Can Agricultural Machinery Harvesting Services Reduce Cropland Abandonment? Evidence from Rural China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-15, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:12:y:2022:i:7:p:901-:d:843872
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/12/7/901/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/12/7/901/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Qiu, Tongwei & Boris Choy, S.T. & Li, Shangpu & He, Qinying & Luo, Biliang, 2020. "Does land renting-in reduce grain production? Evidence from rural China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    2. Chaoran Chen & Diego Restuccia & Raül Santaeulàlia-Llopis, 2023. "Land Misallocation and Productivity," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 15(2), pages 441-465, April.
    3. Lu, Yi & Xie, Huihua & Xu, Lixin Colin, 2016. "Telecommunication externality on migration: Evidence from Chinese villages," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 77-90.
    4. Pedro Bento & Diego Restuccia, 2017. "Misallocation, Establishment Size, and Productivity," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 9(3), pages 267-303, July.
    5. Xianqing Ji & Zhonghao Qian & Linxiu Zhang & Tonglong Zhang, 2018. "Rural Labor Migration and Households' Land Rental Behavior: Evidence from China," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 26(1), pages 66-85, January.
    6. Wang, Xiaobing & Yamauchi, Futoshi & Otsuka, Keijiro & Huang, Jikun, 2016. "Wage Growth, Landholding, and Mechanization in Chinese Agriculture," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 30-45.
    7. Zhang, Xiaobo & Yang, Jin & Reardon, Thomas, 2020. "Mechanization outsourcing clusters and division of labor in Chinese agriculture," IFPRI book chapters, in: An evolving paradigm of agricultural mechanization development: How much can Africa learn from Asia?, chapter 2, pages 71-96, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    8. Qian, Long & Lu, Hua & Gao, Qiang & Lu, Hualiang, 2022. "Household-owned farm machinery vs. outsourced machinery services: The impact of agricultural mechanization on the land leasing behavior of relatively large-scale farmers in China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    9. Fei, Rilong & Lin, Ziyi & Chunga, Joseph, 2021. "How land transfer affects agricultural land use efficiency: Evidence from China’s agricultural sector," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    10. Jenny C. Aker, 2011. "Dial “A” for agriculture: a review of information and communication technologies for agricultural extension in developing countries," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 42(6), pages 631-647, November.
    11. Maëlys de La Rupelle & Deng Quheng & Li Shi & Thomas Vendryes, 2009. "Land rights insecurity and temporary migration in rural China," PSE Working Papers halshs-00575041, HAL.
    12. Jin Yang & Zuhui Huang & Xiaobo Zhang & Thomas Reardon, 2013. "The Rapid Rise of Cross-Regional Agricultural Mechanization Services in China," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 95(5), pages 1245-1251.
    13. Hualin Xie & Peng Wang & Guanrong Yao, 2014. "Exploring the Dynamic Mechanisms of Farmland Abandonment Based on a Spatially Explicit Economic Model for Environmental Sustainability: A Case Study in Jiangxi Province, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(3), pages 1-23, March.
    14. Yi, Q., 2018. "Adoption of Agricultural Mechanization Services among Maize Farmers in China: Impacts of Population Aging and Off-farm Employment," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277541, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    15. Wanglin Ma & Zhongkun Zhu, 2020. "A Note: Reducing Cropland Abandonment in China – Do Agricultural Cooperatives Play a Role?," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 71(3), pages 929-935, September.
    16. Zhang, Xiaobo & Yang, Jin & Wang, Shenglin, 2011. "China has reached the Lewis turning point," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 22(4), pages 542-554.
    17. Tongwei Qiu & Biliang Luo, 2021. "Do small farms prefer agricultural mechanization services? Evidence from wheat production in China," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(26), pages 2962-2973, June.
    18. Newey, Whitney K., 1987. "Efficient estimation of limited dependent variable models with endogenous explanatory variables," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 231-250, November.
    19. Brian Sims & Jennifer Heney, 2017. "Promoting Smallholder Adoption of Conservation Agriculture through Mechanization Services," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 7(8), pages 1-22, July.
    20. Yingqian Huang & Fengqin Li & Hualin Xie, 2020. "A Scientometrics Review on Farmland Abandonment Research," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(8), pages 1-26, August.
    21. Whalley, John & Zhang, Shunming, 2007. "A numerical simulation analysis of (Hukou) labour mobility restrictions in China," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 83(2), pages 392-410, July.
    22. Zou, Baoling & Mishra, Ashok K. & Luo, Biliang, 2018. "Aging population, farm succession, and farmland usage: Evidence from rural China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 437-445.
    23. Gao, Jia & Song, Ge & Sun, Xueqing, 2020. "Does labor migration affect rural land transfer? Evidence from China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    24. Kung, James Kai-sing, 2002. "Off-Farm Labor Markets and the Emergence of Land Rental Markets in Rural China," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(2), pages 395-414, June.
    25. Deng, Xin & Xu, Dingde & Zeng, Miao & Qi, Yanbin, 2019. "Does Internet use help reduce rural cropland abandonment? Evidence from China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    26. Xinru Han & Ping Xue & Ningning Zhang, 2021. "Impact of Grain Subsidy Reform on the Land Use of Smallholder Farms: Evidence from Huang-Huai-Hai Plain in China," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-15, September.
    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. Ruining Li & Yanli Yu, 2022. "Impacts of Green Production Behaviors on the Income Effect of Rice Farmers from the Perspective of Outsourcing Services: Evidence from the Rice Region in Northwest China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-27, October.
    2. Linyi Zheng & Liufang Su & Songqing Jin, 2023. "Reducing land fragmentation to curb cropland abandonment: Evidence from rural China," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 71(3-4), pages 355-373, September.
    3. Lei Niu & Lulu Yuan & Zhongmin Ding & Yifu Zhao, 2023. "How Do Support Pressure and Urban Housing Purchase Affect the Homecoming Decisions of Rural Migrant Workers? Evidence from Rural China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-28, July.
    4. Sha Feng & Dandan Fu & Xinru Han & Xiudong Wang, 2022. "Impacts of the Extension of Cassava Soil Conservation and Efficient Technology on the Reduction of Chemical Fertilizer Input in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-13, November.
    5. Changhai Luo & Jingping Chen & Shuxia Guo & Xiaofei An & Yanxin Yin & Changkai Wen & Huaiyu Liu & Zhijun Meng & Chunjiang Zhao, 2022. "Development and Application of a Remote Monitoring System for Agricultural Machinery Operation in Conservation Tillage," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-22, September.

    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. Xuelan Li & Rui Guan, 2023. "How Does Agricultural Mechanization Service Affect Agricultural Green Transformation in China?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-23, January.
    2. Qian, Long & Lu, Hua & Gao, Qiang & Lu, Hualiang, 2022. "Household-owned farm machinery vs. outsourced machinery services: The impact of agricultural mechanization on the land leasing behavior of relatively large-scale farmers in China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    3. Wangda Liao & Fusheng Zeng & Meseret Chanieabate, 2022. "Mechanization of Small-Scale Agriculture in China: Lessons for Enhancing Smallholder Access to Agricultural Machinery," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-21, June.
    4. Deng, Xin & Xu, Dingde & Zeng, Miao & Qi, Yanbin, 2019. "Does Internet use help reduce rural cropland abandonment? Evidence from China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    5. Qiu, Tongwei & Shi, Xinjie & He, Qinying & Luo, Biliang, 2021. "The paradox of developing agricultural mechanization services in China: Supporting or kicking out smallholder farmers?," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    6. Xin Deng & Dingde Xu & Yanbin Qi & Miao Zeng, 2018. "Labor Off-Farm Employment and Cropland Abandonment in Rural China: Spatial Distribution and Empirical Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-15, August.
    7. Liu, Yan & Heerink, Nico & Li, Fan & Shi, Xiaoping, 2022. "Do agricultural machinery services promote village farmland rental markets? Theory and evidence from a case study in the North China plain," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    8. Caihua Xu & Qian Wang & Shah Fahad & Masaru Kagatsume & Jin Yu, 2022. "Impact of Off-Farm Employment on Farmland Transfer: Insight on the Mediating Role of Agricultural Production Service Outsourcing," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-16, October.
    9. Qianqian Chen & Ruifa Hu & Yiduo Sun & Chao Zhang, 2020. "How Does Rural–Urban Migration Experience Affect Arable Land Use? Evidence from 2293 Farmers in China," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(11), pages 1-17, October.
    10. Meng Yang & Ting Sun & Tao Liu, 2023. "The Heterogeneous Effects of Multilevel Centers on Farmland Transfer: Evidence from Tai’an Prefecture, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-19, September.
    11. Tongwei Qiu & S. T. Boris Choy & Yifei Li & Biliang Luo & Jing Li, 2021. "Farmers' Exit from Land Operation in Rural China: Does the Price of Agricultural Mechanization Services Matter?," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 29(2), pages 99-122, March.
    12. Meng Qu & Kai Zhao & Renhui Zhang & Yuan Gao & Jing Wang, 2022. "Divergence between Willingness and Behavior of Farmers to Purchase Socialized Agricultural Services: From a Heterogeneity Perspective of Land Scale," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-21, July.
    13. Meili Huan & Shaoguo Zhan, 2022. "Agricultural Production Services, Farm Size and Chemical Fertilizer Use in China’s Maize Production," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-17, October.
    14. Juan Ai & Lun Hu & Shuhua Xia & Hongling Xiang & Zhaojiu Chen, 2023. "Analysis of Factors Influencing the Adoption Behavior of Agricultural Productive Services Based on Logistic—ISM Model: A Case Study of Rice Farmers in Jiangxi Province, China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-16, January.
    15. Deng, Xin & Xu, Dingde & Zeng, Miao & Qi, Yanbin, 2019. "Does early-life famine experience impact rural land transfer? Evidence from China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 58-67.
    16. Fengwan Zhang & Xueling Bao & Xin Deng & Dingde Xu, 2022. "Rural Land Transfer in the Information Age: Can Internet Use Affect Farmers’ Land Transfer-In?," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-14, October.
    17. Kai Huang & Xin Deng & Yi Liu & Zhuolin Yong & Dingde Xu, 2020. "Does off-Farm Migration of Female Laborers Inhibit Land Transfer? Evidence from Sichuan Province, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-14, January.
    18. Lijuan Xu & Abbas Ali Chandio & Jingyi Wang & Yuansheng Jiang, 2022. "Does Farmland Tenancy Improve Household Asset Allocation? Evidence from Rural China," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-22, December.
    19. Xiang Li & Xiaoqin Guo, 2023. "Can Policy Promote Agricultural Service Outsourcing? Quasi-Natural Experimental Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-18, January.
    20. Cai, Yi & Sun, Yucheng & Qi, Wene & Yi, Famin, 2022. "Impact of smartphone use on production outsourcing: evidence from litchi farming in southern China," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 25(4), September.

    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:gam:jagris:v:12:y:2022:i:7:p:901-:d:843872. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.