ATTITUDES TOWARDS FARM DIVERSIFICATION: RESULTS FROM A SURVEY OF DEVON FARMS

Evidence from a survey of farmers' reactions to milk quotas suggests that there remains a fundamental divide between policymakers' views of the future farm and those of the farmers themselves. This paper examines this dichotomy in the context of one important milk-producing county, Devon. Here an emphasis at County Council level on non-agricultural diversification is found to contrast with the actions and intentions of sampled farmers. These favour instead an increase in farm self-sufficiency and an exploration of mainstream farming options, particularly an increase in beef and sheep enterprises.     

农业机械化水平对农户主粮生产的影响

[目的]粮食问题关系国家安全、政治稳定和社会安定,是实施乡村振兴战略的首要任务。深入剖析新时期下农户粮食生产的影响因素,是保证国家粮食安全的现实要求。[方法]文章基于农户实地调研数据,运用工具变量法和样本选择修正模型分析农业机械化水平对农户主粮生产的影响。[结果](1)农业机械化水平对农户主粮生产有显著的正向影响,农业机械化水平每提高1%,农户主粮单产就提高1.219%,其中,水稻单产增加1.220 7%,小麦单产增加0.807 6%,玉米单产增加1.106 4%,马铃薯单产增加1.3798%。(2)从控制变量来看,户主受教育年限、户主务农经验、粮食补贴、农药化肥投入和平原地形都对不同主粮作物生产有积极作用,家庭外出务工占比、土地流转和气候极端变化都对不同主粮作物生产有消极作用。[结论]在农户不大幅调整当前主粮种植结构的前提下,适当增加马铃薯种植面积,提高种粮农户农业机械补贴力度,推广农机社会化作业服务模式,从而提高粮食产量,保障国家粮食安全。     

政府培训、技术认知与农户生态农业技术采纳行为以稻虾共养技术为例

[目的]农户作为生态农业技术最直接的采纳者,其对生态农业技术有着独立的选择权,农户是否采纳生态农业技术直接影响到该技术的推广效率。稻虾共养技术实现了水稻种植和小龙虾养殖相协调,该技术符合生态农业技术的要求。因此,文章以稻虾共养技术为例,通过分析江苏省和湖北省稻虾共养技术推广情况,以期提高农户对稻虾共养技术的采纳行为,并重点从政府培训、农户技术认知、农户个体特征、家庭经营特征和社会网络等五方面研究其对农户采纳稻虾共养技术的影响。[方法]运用二元Logistic模型和Bootstrap方法,基于江苏省和湖北省共612份农户的微观调研数据,实证分析了政府培训、技术认知对农户稻虾共养技术采纳行为的影响及其内在作用机制。[结果](1)政府培训次数和政府培训有效性对农户稻虾共养技术采纳行为有显著的正向影响,政府培训及时性对农户稻虾共养技术采纳行为的影响效果不显著;(2)其内在作用机制主要体现在,政府培训有效性可以提高农户技术认知水平,降低其技术应用风险,最终促使农户产生技术采纳行为;(3)户主是否村干部、是否加入合作社等对农户采纳稻虾共养技术有显著的正向影响,而户主年龄和耕地块数对其技术采纳行为有显著的负向影响。[结论]政府培训能够提高农户对生态农业技术的采纳行为,并且政府通过技术培训,可以提高农户对生态农业技术的认知,进而对农户技术采纳行为产生显著的正向影响。     

Risk-Taking Preferences of Farmers in Northern Thailand: Measurements and Implications

Risk-taking preferences were elicited from small semi-commercial farmers in Northern Thailand using an experimental procedure that included real monetary payoffs of meaningful magnitudes. A total of five sets of lotteries with increasing payoffs were offered. The farmers were found to be risk averters, and their preferences conformed to the hypothesis of increasing (nondecreasing) partial relative risk aversion. Using regression analysis, farmers' expected variation of rice yields and farm size were found to be directly related to a decrease in risk aversion, while the extent of multiple cropping, availability of non-land household assets, and tested mathematical ability were found to be indirectly related to a decrease in risk aversion. The variables expected variation of rice prices, farmers' age, and tested abstract ability scores were not related to risk-taking preferences.     

Optimising seed portfolios to cope ex ante with risks from bad weather: evidence from a recent maize farmer survey in China

Using 4‐year panel data collected from surveying 640 farmers from leading maize producing provinces in China, this study analyses how maize farmers cope with anticipated risks from bad weather by strategically adjusting variety portfolios, with particular interest in farmers' strategies in choosing and combining new and old varieties. While diversification was commonly demonstrated to be an effective means to reduce risk in most previous studies, our empirical results indicate that, in facing anticipated risks from bad weather, Chinese maize farmers tend to use fewer new varieties and allocate more land to old varieties. The lack of knowledge about weather tolerance of new varieties might be the major reason for this practice. As new varieties often have higher yield potential relative to old varieties due to technological progress, this finding suggests that Chinese maize farmers might be trading yield potential against risk reduction from bad weather. Furthermore, this study shows that maize farmers' variety adoption is significantly related to farmers' land conditions as well as their access to credit markets and technique extensions, suggesting that a well‐designed policy intervention could offset or partially offset the anticipation of adverse weather impacts on farmers' variety choices and therefore on maize production.     

基于老龄化背景下的绿色生产技术推广研究以生物农药与测土配方肥为例

[目的]探讨老龄化与农业技术推广对农户采纳绿色生产技术的影响。[方法]文章通过二元Logit模型,利用湖北省襄阳、宜昌、黄冈、潜江4市587户水稻种植户样本数据进行实证分析。[结果](1)老龄化阻碍了农户的绿色生产技术采纳行为,老年组农户相对于年轻组而言,采纳生物农药和测土配方施肥技术的概率在下降,采纳生物农药的年轻组和老年组农户分别占总样本的47.79%和37.67%,采纳测土配方肥的年轻组和老年组农户分别占25.00%和15.48%;(2)农业技术推广能够在一定程度上缓解老龄化对农户采纳绿色生产技术的阻碍。具体而言,政府宣传与政府培训均能显著促进年轻农户的绿色生产技术采纳行为;政府宣传能有效促进老年农户采纳绿色生产技术,但政府培训对其影响作用并不明显。[结论]政府应加强绿色生产技术的宣传力度和培训力度,针对中老年人降低培训难度,且为中老年人提供良好的学习环境。     

Adoption of Food Safety Practices in Milk Production: Implications for Dairy Farmers in India

This study investigates the status, estimates the cost, and identifies the determinants of compliance with food safety measures in milk production in India. The study is based on the cross section primary data collected at the farm level in 3 states of India, namely, Bihar, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh, in the year 2007. These states capture the geographical and institutional diversity of milk production and marketing in the country. The study shows that the status of compliance with food safety measures at the dairy farm level is not encouraging and a lot of efforts are needed to bridge this gap. The adoption intensity of food safety practices shows wide inter- and intraregional variations. This intensity depicts a positive relationship with herd size. The additional cost of compliance with food milk safety measures reveals an inverse relationship with herd size. The adoption intensity of food safety practices has been found to be influenced by the dairy farmers' characteristics. Herd size, education level, expertise in dairying, and integration of dairy farmers with modern milk supply chain have positive influence on the adoption intensity of food safety practices at the farm level. The positive relationship between adoption intensity of food safety measures and farmers' realization of milk price would influence farmers for greater adoption of these measures.     

农户采纳稻虾共作模式的邻里效应研究

[目的]稻虾共作生态农业模式在长江中下游地区发展迅速,对于这一生态农业模式的扩散机理研究,有助于推动其他生态农业模式发展。[方法]文章基于湖北省、湖南省和安徽省农户调研数据,采用二元Probit计量方法分析了农户采纳稻虾共作模式的邻里效应,并采用工具变量法对基准回归结果的内生性进行检验及计算出社会乘数效应。[结果]（1）农户的稻虾共作模式采纳行为存在显著的邻里效应,同村邻里农户采纳行为均值每提高一个单位,个体农户采纳稻虾共作模式的概率将提高26.5%;邻里农户采纳行为的社会乘数效应为1.69。（2）农户的稻虾共作模式采纳行为还存在显著的情景效应;加入合作社可以显著提高农户稻虾共作模式采纳行为。[结论]在生态农业模式采纳比较少的行政村内,可以采取适当的激励政策引导部分农户采纳生态农业模式,再通过邻里互动效应作用,间接影响其他农户,从而提高整体采纳水平,形成规模效应。优先采纳的农户通过技术示范、经济收益示范,影响和带动其他农户采纳;充分发挥合作社的辐射带动作用,促进农户生态农业模式采纳行为。     

Determinants of the Willingness of Belgian Farmers to Participate in Agri‐environmental Measures

This paper explores the willingness of Belgian farmers to participate in two voluntary agri‐environmental policies. Farmers' contingent behaviour is analysed on the basis of survey data. Derivations based on a conceptual micro‐economic model indicate that decision subject and decision maker characteristics are important for farmers' participation. The model is empirically tested through the specification and estimation of a probit model. Consistency is found between the theoretical framework and the empirical results indicating that both the expected effect on farm production and the farmers' environmental attitude, which is more positive among younger and better educated farmers, are significant determinants of the acceptance rate of agri‐environmental policies. Other variables which influence participation decisions are farm size and previous experience of farmers themselves or of neighbouring farmers with agri‐environmental measures.     

农户对宅基地流转福利的认同研究以湖北省为例

[目的]文章基于可行能力理论构建农户对宅基地流转福利的认同的理论模型,利用湖北省武汉、仙桃、恩施宅基地流转农户的实地调研数据,运用模糊综合评价法定量评价农户对宅基地流转福利的认同度,从农户主观价值认知视角评估宅基地流转对农户福利的影响效应。[方法]模糊综合评价法。[结果](1)总体上,农户认同宅基地流转福利,当前宅基地流转政策改善了农户福利。(2)宅基地流转对农户福利效应存在差异,宅基地流转显著改善了家庭经济、居住条件和心理感受福利,其次为社区环境和社会保障福利,改善农户发展机遇福利效应最低,且农户不认同宅基地流转后发展机遇福利。(3)宅基地流转改善农户福利效应存在禀赋差异,因经济发展水平、区位优势以及宅基地流转方式不同,农户对宅基地流转福利的认同存在差异。[结论]当前进一步深化宅基地流转政策改革对于提高农户福利,实施乡村振兴具有重要意义。农户对宅基地流转政策改革期望值较高,为进一步深化宅基地流转政策奠定了基础。     

Climate-resilient practices and welfare impacts on rice-cultivating households in Vietnam: Does joint adoption of multiple practices matter?

Farmers have a long history of adjusting their production practices in response to changing production conditions. Using a multinomial endogenous treatment effects model that accounts for observable and unobservable heterogeneity, this study investigates the adoption and welfare impacts of climate-resilient practices on Vietnamese rice-cultivating households. We found evidence of clear and positive welfare impacts from the adoption of canal irrigation (CI) and the joint adoption of agricultural conservation practices (CP) and CI as the main adaptation strategies to increase water stress. More importantly, although farmers with access to CI systems obtained the highest returns, the joint adoption of multiple practices still had substantially high adoption rates and significantly positive effects on rice yield, rice revenue and household income. Our findings indicate that farms' and farmers' characteristics, market information and climatic conditions are generally the main factors driving rice farmers' decisions to adopt climate-resilient technologies, both individually and jointly. Follow-up policy interventions should focus on improving CI systems and promoting the joint adoption of climate-resilient technologies to improve rice farmers' well-being and enhance their resilience capacity to cope with incoming climatic uncertainty.     

农户减少化肥用量和采用有机肥的意愿研究——基于洱海流域上游面源污染防控的视角

[目的]过量施用化肥导致水体富营养化是造成洱海流域上游面源污染的主要原因之一,调查分析农户减少化肥用量和采用有机肥的意愿有助于了解其调整施肥结构的行为。当前研究忽视了农户减少化肥施用强度和采用有机肥的意愿间的替代性,未能开展联立研究。[方法]基于洱海流域上游397个水稻种植户的问卷调查数据,通过Bivariate-Probit模型对农户减少化肥用量和采用有机肥两种意愿进行分析。[结果]年龄负向影响农户减少化肥量的意愿,农户对有机肥好处的认知正向影响其减少化肥量的意愿,农户参加农业社会化服务对其减少化肥用量和采用有机肥的意愿均产生正向影响,相比之下,对农户采用有机肥意愿的促进作用更大。[结论]引导农户参加农业社会化服务以及加强宣传和培训,提高农户对有机肥作用的认知可能是加强其减少化肥用量和增加有机肥施用量意愿的有效途径。     

资本禀赋、政策机制对东北地区“旱改水”行为影响研究——基于黑龙江、辽宁两省调研数据

目的 通过分析资本禀赋、农业政策对东北地区农户“旱改水”行为的影响,从农业支持政策、经济资本、社会资本、文化资本等方面探究农户“旱改水”行为的作用机理。方法 文章基于布尔迪厄的实践理论建立资本禀赋理论分析框架,利用黑龙江、辽宁两省639个农户微观调研数据,采用Logit模型实证分析东北地区农户“旱改水”行为的影响因素。结果 （1）预期稻谷最低收购价水平提高,农户继续改种水稻意愿增加,说明农业支持政策与“旱改水”意愿正相关。（2）农户收入水平、耕地面积、水田面积对用户“旱改水”意愿具有负向影响,表明经济资本与农户改种水田的意愿负相关。（3）加入合作社、亲戚朋友和邻里信任程度均对农户继续改种水田产生显著正向作用,表明社会资本与农户“旱改水”行为正相关。文化资本的影响并不显著。（4）农户年龄越大、具有外出务工经历其继续改种水稻意愿较低。结论 加强和完善农业政策支持,打通“地、技、利、义”等关键要素,引导农户合理调整种植结构,保障国家粮食安全。     

江西省县域农民现代化发展水平评价及区域差异分析

目的 基于乡村振兴战略有关要求以及新阶段“三农”发展现状、特征构建农民现代化综合评价指标体系,对2019年江西省103县（区）的农民现代化发展水平进行测度和评价。方法 文章综合运用层次分析法和熵值法从职业素质、生活水平、生活环境、健康水平、市民化水平五方面选取了15个指标构建农民现代化综合评价指标体系,找出影响江西省农民现代化发展的主要因素,并对2019年江西省103县（区）的农民现代化水平进行测度。结果 （1）江西省农民现代化发展水平主要受职业素质、人均可支配收入、市民化水平等的影响;（2）江西省农民现代化发展水平总体评价值为0.565 5,空间分布上呈现出“西部高东部低,北部高南部低”的趋势;（3）从一级指标发展水平空间分布来看,农民职业素质发展水平、生活水平、生活环境发展水平、市民化发展水平均呈现出显著的多维性和异质性。其中,职业素质发展水平呈现出“西部高东部低,南部高北部低”的特征,生活水平、生活环境发展水平、市民化发展水平均呈现出“西部高东部低,北部高南部低”的特征。结论 江西省农民现代化发展进程还有待推进,未来应该在加大农民职业教育培训力度、扩大农民增收渠道、加快促进农民就地市民化、加强区域间农民现代化发展交流合作等方面加强政策引导与支持,进一步提高农民现代化发展水平。     

A study of economic efficiency of Iranian farmers in Ramjerd district: an application of stochastic programming

An extension of utility-efficient programming to the non-linear discrete stochastic programming method was developed and used in the analysis of the economic efficiency of a sample of farmers in Iran. The results indicate that it would be feasible to increase substantially farmers' total net revenue by increasing their economic efficiency in terms of technical and allocative efficiencies. The study further suggested that risk aversion plays an important role in farmers' behaviour. The sample farmers are risk averse and hence are likely to trade higher expected profits for lower risk. Understanding this characteristic is important for interventions intended to raise farm productivity and efficiency.     

农户对秸秆深翻还田的选择偏好及异质性来源研究基于黑土地保护视角

目的 秸秆深翻还田是东北地区黑土地保护和修复主要的方式之一,但目前农户选用秸秆深翻还田作业的意愿依然不强。方法 文章基于黑土地保护视角,从技术和政策双层面分解秸秆深翻还田作业的特征属性,以规模户和小农户为调研对象,运用选择实验法及混合Logit模型识别农户选择秸秆深翻还田作业的选择偏好和支付意愿,并探讨其异质性来源。结果 （1）技术层面。行政农机托管能显著提高秸秆深翻还田的作业选择偏好;农户对秸秆深翻还田的成本风险和技术操作规范风险有承受能力,但对病虫害风险有排斥心理;小农户更注重短期产量和效益,倾向于劳动力投入,最高支付意愿为243.60元/hm²（16.24元/亩）;规模户更重视改善土壤质量等长期效益,倾向于资金投入,最高支付意愿为397.95元/hm²（26.53元/亩）。（2）政策层面。以激励为主的政策、作业后补贴以及高强度补贴均能显著提高农户采纳秸秆深翻还田技术的积极性,小农户希望补贴给农户本身,而规模户更倾向于补贴个合作社企业。（3）农户采纳秸秆深翻还田的行为偏好存在异质性,异质性来源为农户的个体特征、家庭经营特征和社会特征及认知等因素。结论 技术层面需优化相关配套辅助技术,大力推进黑土地保护监测数据和技术信息的共享;政策层面政府需完善秸秆深翻还田的政府补偿机制;保障层面需推进行政农机作业托管模式,加强对合作社的规范和监督。     

基于MOA理论的农民技术采纳行为研究——以水稻化肥减施技术为例

[目的]随着化学肥料在全球范围的大量使用,所引起的农业面源污染问题不仅对整个生态系统造成的破坏难以估量,还直接影响了农民的切身利益。化肥减施增效技术是目前协调农业生产与环境保护的重要途径,但先进技术与生产应用之间存在不同程度上的脱节现象,这就需要将技术进一步物化,开展对技术“载体”的研究。[方法]农业经营主体是肥料施用最直接的载体,农户施肥行为的规范程度直接关系肥料利用的效率及对环境的污染程度,文章以采用化肥减施技术的水稻种植农户为研究对象、从技术增效角度入手、运用MOA理论构建分析框架,借助结构方程模型和mplus7.0软件、对角加权矩阵伴均值-方差校正卡方检验（WLSMV）方法对样本农户技术采纳行为的决策过程进行实证分析。[结果]（1）采纳机会、采纳动机、抗风险能力都对农户采纳技术的行为规范在1%的显著性水平上具有正向影响;（2）技术认知对其行为规范的路径系数为负,假设未通过验证;（3）行为规范对行为效益的路径系数高达0.97,行为效益对采纳意愿的系数为0.9。[结论]影响农民行为的主客观因素中采纳动机是最显著的,行为执行的规范程度是决定其行为效益最直接、最重要的因素,行为效益又是...     

Area Yield Index Insurance or Farm Yield Crop Insurance? Chinese Perspectives on Farmers' Welfare and Government Subsidy Effectiveness

We evaluate the performance of area yield crop insurance (AYCI) and farm yield crop insurance (FYCI) using farm-level yield data from China, focusing on their effects on farmers' welfare, and their cost-effectiveness in terms of government subsidy. Given a subsidy rate sufficient to generate a politically acceptable participation level, the price advantage of AYCI may no longer offset its higher basis risk, and consequently FYCI may be preferred by farmers. From the government's perspective, AYCI is the cheapest option to maintain reasonable farmer participation in insurance, but is not necessarily the most cost-effective choice. Our findings suggest that, contrary to an assumption that informs many developing country agricultural insurance programmes, AYCI schemes are not necessarily preferred to FYCI. Decisions on the structure of a national agricultural insurance programme should be based on careful consideration of local conditions.     

Farmers' Buying Selection Criteria of Agricultural Inputs

The Malaysian farmers' selection criteria of agricultural inputs, attitudes towards selecting the inputs, and the influence of socio-demographic factors in the selection of inputs were examined by using a personal interview with vegetable farmers. It was found that farmers perceived quality as most important criteria in selection of inputs, while advertising was perceived as least important. Vegetable farmers have favourable attitudes towards quality, product availability and fair prices, and less favourable attitudes towards advertising influence. The socio-demographic factors such as income, farm size, geographical distribution, education level, and ethnic group (race) have some influence on farmers' selection criteria of agricultural inputs.     

农业机械化发展及其服务外包的原因分析——源自冀豫鲁3省问卷调查数据的证明

[目的]在统计描述华北平原农民的机械采纳率和机械采纳方式的基础上,分析农民的机械化需求和农机手的机械服务供给行为及其内在逻辑,从理论和实证两个维度对华北平原地区农业机械技术的特殊实现形式——服务外包做出解释。[方法]运用描述性统计分析和成本收益核算等方法,利用冀豫鲁3省779个农户和45个农机手的实地调研数据分别对农业机械化发展的前提条件和实现方式做出解释。[结果]农业劳动力成本上升与农机购置成本下降,共同刺激了农民的机械技术需求,是华北平原农业机械化快速发展的前提条件;持有农业机械的农民基于理性选择而向其他农民提供农机作业服务,是推动华北平原农业机械化以服务形式实现的主要原因。[结论]相关部门应继续探索高效的农机补贴模式,刺激农民的机械技术需求;农业机械支持政策可适当向农机合作社倾斜,提高农机手的组织化程度和服务数量与质量。