Browsing by Author "Tang, Zeng"
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Item Does farmland rental contribute to reduction of agrochemical use? A case of grain production in Gansu province, China(2019) Liu, Ying; Wang, Chenggang (TTU); Tang, Zeng; Nan, ZhibiaoAs a consequence of the new strategy to boost productivity capacity and ensure food security, China's farmland rental market is developing rapidly, and its impacts on agricultural productivity have been extensively studied. However, the impacts of farmland rental on food safety have not been considered. The aim of this study was to determine the causal effects of farmland rental on fertilizer and pesticide use in wheat and maize production and evaluate the potential effects of this activity on food safety. Survey data obtained from 900 households in eight counties in Gansu province were used in this study, and the propensity score matching (PSM) method was employed to solve selection bias problems with the data. The results showed that farmland rental significantly reduced fertilizer and pesticide use in wheat and maize production, implying a potential reduction in heavy metal contamination of food and drinking water as well as less pesticide residues-remaining in food and contamination of environment. Also, households renting land were more likely to adopt new agricultural technologies and management methods and to acquire more agricultural acknowledges and information than those not renting land and renting out land. Thus, farmland rental is a benefit to the application of new agricultural technologies and management methods, to rational use of agrochemicals, and finally to food safety and environmental conservation. Policies such as encouraging farmland rental, enhancing education of farmers, improving technological innovation, and providing better information transfer should help ensure not only "enough food" but also "safe food".Item Farmland Rental and Productivity of Wheat and Maize: An Empirical Study in Gansu, China(2017) Liu, Ying; Wang, Chenggang (TTU); Tang, Zeng; Nan, ZhibiaoThe rapid growth of farmland rental markets in China raises questions about the association of farmland rental and agricultural productivity. Although this issue has been extensively studied, the majority of studies have focused on yields and technical efficiency, with input use and cost efficiency receiving little attention. This study aimed to determine the statistical association of wheat and maize farmers’ farmland rental behaviors (renting land, not renting land and renting out land) and input use, and the consequent association of farmers’ farmland rental behaviors and cost efficiency. For this purpose, the linear regression model and stochastic frontier model were employed, based on a survey data of 419 wheat and maize farmers in 25 villages in five counties of Gansu Province, China. The study found that farmland rental enhanced productivity and sustainability of agriculture through transferring farmland from households with less productivity to those with high productivity, and it was also helpful to reducing the consumption of fertilizers and chemicals in agricultural production. The results suggest that replacing labor with machines is an important way to reduce production costs, and households specializing in agricultural production use more rational amounts of fertilizers and chemicals than those with low productivity. Thus, the machinery purchase policy in China should continue to give great benefit to farmers. In addition, the machinery purchase subsidization policy has achieved satisfactory results in China, and it could be a good reference for other developing countries. However, some efficiency loss was found in households that rented out their land, and policy makers need to pay some attention to these households.Item Will farmland transfer reduce grain acreage? Evidence from Gansu province, China(2018) Liu, Ying; Wang, Chenggang (TTU); Tang, Zeng; Nan, ZhibiaoPurpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the impacts of farmland renting-in on planted grain acreage. Design/methodology/approach: A survey data of five counties were analyzed with the two-stage ordinary least squares model. Findings: Households renting-in land trended to plant more maize, and the more land was rented by a household the more maize was planted, while wheat acreage showed non-response to farmland renting-in. Practical implications: Overall, the analysis suggests that policy makers should be prepared for different changing trends of grain crop acreage across the nation as farmland transfer continues. Future research should pay attention to the effect of farmland transfer on agricultural productivity and rural household income growth. Originality/value: As the Chinese Government is promoting larger-scale and more mechanized farms as a way of protecting grain security, it is important to understand whether farmland renting-in will reduce planted grain acreage. This study provides empirical evidence showing the answer to that question may differ across different regions and depend on the particular grain crop in question.