土地细碎化对中国东南部水稻小农户技术效率的影响

Impact of Land Fragmentation on Small Rice Farmers’ Technical Efficiency in Southeast China

目的水稻生产是中国广大稻区农民收入和减轻贫困的重要途径,而土地细碎化可能是目前进一步提高农业生产率和减轻农村贫困的主要瓶颈之一。方法采用详实的农户调查以及作物水平和地块层次的数据,用两阶段法分析了土地细碎化对中国东南部一个水稻主要产区农户技术效率的影响。结果研究区早稻的平均技术效率为0.85,晚稻为0.83,而单季稻为0.79。稻田平均地块大小对早、中、晚3种水稻的技术效率都有显著的正影响。此外,家庭规模和农地规模对3种水稻生产的技术效率也有显著影响。人口较多的家庭或规模较大的农场技术效率较小家庭或小农场要高。结论在现有技术状态下,水稻小农户的技术效率仍可得到可观的提高。研究揭示,减轻土地细碎度的项目如果能够与促进农村劳动力市场发育的措施结合起来,将是提高水稻生产技术效率行之有效的途径。

[Objective] Rice farming is important for income generation and poverty reduction in China＇s large rice-growing areas. Land fragmentation, however, may constitute a major bottleneck in increasing productivity and reducing poverty. [ Method ]This paper applied detailed household, crop and plot level data and uses a two-stage method to investigate the impact of land fragmentation on rice producers＇ technical efficiency in a major rice growing area of Southeast China. [ Result] Average technical efficiency scores were 0.85 for early rice, 0.83 for late rice, and 0.79 for one-season rice production in the research area. Plot size was found to positively affect the rice producer＇s technical efficiency. In addition, household size and farm size also had positive impact on technical efficiency. [Conclusion] With the existing technologies, considerable productivity improvement can still be reached by addressing the factors constraining technical efficiency increases. Land consolidation can be an important option in this respect if it can combine with the promotion of the rural labor market.