Factors Affecting the Development of Land Rental Markets in China A Case Study for Puding County, Guizhou Province

The development of land rental markets can enhance agricultural productivity and equity by facilitating transfers of land to more productive farmers and facilitating the participation in the non-farm economy of less productive farmers. In recent years there has been a rapid increase in the incidence of land rental activities in China. Large differences exist, however, both between regions and within regions in the share of households participating in land renting activities. The purpose of this study is to analyze the factors affecting the development of land rental markets in one of the poorest regions within China, namely Puding County in Guizhou Province. Data from 792 households in three villages are used to analyze the participation in land rental markets. For renting out of land, a binary probit model is used that corrects for missing observation caused by migrated households. We find that the land rental market is mainly driven by off-farm employment; land-labor ratios do not play a significant role in land renting out. Other important findings are that households belonging to minority groups are significantly more inactive in the land rental market, and that the age of the household head shows an inverted U-shaped relationship with land renting in. Participation in off-farm employment is relatively low in the research area. With further increases in off-farm work, the land rental market is expected to develop further. Households belonging to minority groups, however, are unlikely to participate much. Appropriate measures taken by local governments to stimulate land rental participation by minority groups can be an important way to stimulate agricultural productivity and total household incomes of such minority groups.land rental markets, off-farm, China, binary probit, data correction, Land Economics/Use,

China's New Rural Income Support Policy: Impact on Grain Production and Rural Income Inequality

The impact of China's new rural income support policy and recent price trends on grain production and rural income inequality is assessed for two villages with different degrees of market access in Northeast Jiangxi Province. Two village-level general equilibrium models are used to analyze household decision making and interactions between households within these villages. Parameter estimation and model calibration is based on data collected during an extensive survey held in these villages in the year 2000. The household classification used in these models allows us to draw conclusions that are relevant for many other villages and regions in China. Simulation results show that the income support policy does not reach its goal of promoting grain production. The increased incomes allow farm households to buy more inputs for livestock production, which is a more profitable activity. Moreover, because leisure is valued higher with increasing incomes, farmers tend to switch to less intensive rice production. Selling of rice outside the villages declines more than rice production due to the higher own consumption of households. We further find that agricultural tax abolition has a much larger impact on incomes and production than the direct income support in 2004. Both measures tend to reduce income inequalities within villages, because the richest household groups (who are more involved in off-farm employment) benefit less. Tax abolition, however, tends to widen income inequalities between villages, because the absolute income gain is much larger in relatively rich villages. The switch from rice production towards more profitable activities like livestock production is therefore much stronger in these villages.income policy, grain production, income inequality, villages, CGE model, China, Consumer/Household Economics, Crop Production/Industries, O20, Q12, R15,

Les effets de la culture sur les performances économiques et la dégradation des prairies

Cette étude est fondée sur des informations recueillies au cours d’enquêtes sur des Tibétains et des Mongols qui vivent dans une même région (la région du lac Qinghai dans le Nord-Ouest de la Chine), pratiquent la même religion et présentent un mode de vie similaire. Il s’agira d’examiner comment les différences culturelles entre ces deux groupes ethniques affectent leur intégration au marché, leur mode d’élevage du bétail et le niveau de dégradation des pâturages. Nous constatons des différences culturelles fondamentales entre les groupes, l’impact de l’attitude religieuse sur le rapport au marché apparaissant comme la force dominante qui explique le degré relativement élevé de dégradation des prairies parmi les ménages mongols

Effects of Culture on Economic Performance and Grassland Degradation

This study uses micro-level data gathered for Tibetans and Mongolians living in the same region (Qinghai Lake area in Northwest China) and having similar religion (Buddhism) and livelihoods (livestock raising) to examine how cultural differences between these two ethnic groups affect their integration into markets, their means of livestock production, and the extent of degradation of the grassland. We find significant cultural differences between the two ethnic groups, and conclude that the impact of religious attitudes on the market orientation of herder households is the dominating force explaining a relatively high degree of grassland degradation among Mongolian households

Les effets de la culture sur les performances économiques et la dégradation des prairies

Cette étude est fondée sur des informations recueillies au cours d’enquêtes sur des Tibétains et des Mongols qui vivent dans une même région (la région du lac Qinghai dans le Nord-Ouest de la Chine), pratiquent la même religion et présentent un mode de vie similaire. Il s’agira d’examiner comment les différences culturelles entre ces deux groupes ethniques affectent leur intégration au marché, leur mode d’élevage du bétail et le niveau de dégradation des pâturages. Nous constatons des différences culturelles fondamentales entre les groupes, l’impact de l’attitude religieuse sur le rapport au marché apparaissant comme la force dominante qui explique le degré relativement élevé de dégradation des prairies parmi les ménages mongols

a provincial-level analysis

PRIFPRI3; GRP32; Theme 9; Subtheme 9.2; Country and regional food, nutrition, and agricultural strategies; Governance; BJODSG

China’s new rural income support policy: impacts on grain production and income inequality

"This paper analyses the impact of agricultural tax abolition and direct income payments to grain farmers on grain production and rural inequality in China. To separate the impact of the income support measures from recent price trends for grains and inputs, and to account for differences in household responses, we use a village-level general equilibrium model that we calibrate for two villages with different degrees of market access in Jiangxi province. The results show that the income support policy does not reach its goal of promoting grain production. The increased incomes allow farm households to buy more inputs for livestock production and involve other activities that are more profitable than grain farming. Selling of rice outside the villages declines more than rice production, because households in the villages consume more rice when incomes rise. We further find that the income support measures tend to reduce income within a village, but that tax abolition tends to widen income inequality between villages." -- Authors' AbstractPRIFPRI3; Theme 9; Subtheme 9.2; Country and regional food, nutrition, and agricultural strategiesDSG

A macro–micro analysis

PRIFPRI3; ISI; GRP39; Theme 3; Subtheme 3.2; Theme 12; Subtheme 12.1; BJODSG

A village-level analysis

PRIFPRI4; GRP32; Theme 9; Subtheme 9.2; Country and regional food, nutrition, and agricultural strategies; BJODSG