From backyard to commercial hog production: Does it lead to a better or worse rural environment?

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of structural changes in hog production manure management practices.

Design/methodology/approach

The data used in this study are obtained from a large-scale nationwide hog producers’ survey in rural China conducted by the Center for Chinese Agricultural Policy, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in 2010. A descriptive analysis between hog manure management and its main determinants was conducted. Based on the collected data, an econometric model on the determinants of hog manure management was constructed and used for analysis.

Findings

The results of this study suggest that the scale of hog production has an important impact on the pattern of hog manure management. Moreover, the results from descriptive statistics and multivariate estimation suggest that smaller hog producers are more likely to apply hog manure to their own lands, while larger hog producers are more likely to sell the manure or find other ways to dispose of it.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the existing literature by examining the impact of structural changes in hog production on hog manure management and the environment.

Citation

Huang, W., Qiao, F., Liu, H., Jia, X. and Lohmar, B. (2016), "From backyard to commercial hog production: Does it lead to a better or worse rural environment?", China Agricultural Economic Review, Vol. 8 No. 1, pp. 22-36. https://doi.org/10.1108/CAER-10-2014-0100