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Article
Publication date: 26 December 2023

Peng Peng and Zhigang Xu

Large-scale farm management in China has developed rapidly in recent years. Large-scale farmers face substantial operating risks, requiring extensive price risk management…

367

Abstract

Purpose

Large-scale farm management in China has developed rapidly in recent years. Large-scale farmers face substantial operating risks, requiring extensive price risk management. However, the agricultural insurance and futures markets in China are incomplete. This study aims to analyze the price-risk-management behaviors of large-scale farmers under incomplete market conditions, with a focus on the interconnections between large scale farmers' subjective preferences (risk preferences, time preferences), liquidity constraints and their price risk management.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors construct an analysis framework to reveal the impact of large-scale farmers' risk preferences, time preferences and liquidity conditions on their price-risk-management behaviors under incomplete market conditions. Using data from field surveys and subjective preference experiments involving 409 large-scale grain farmers in China, an empirical analysis was conducted using the bivariate probit model.

Findings

The results show that risk-averse farmers will use risk transfer (such as contract farming) and risk diversification (such as multi-period sales) to avoid price risk. However, farmers subject to liquidity constraints and strong time preferences will not choose risk diversification, and the interaction between time preferences and liquidity constraints will strengthen this decision. The larger the farm-management scale, the greater the impact.

Originality/value

The authors focus on rapidly developed large-scale farm management in China. Appropriate price risk management is required by large-scale farmers due to their substantial operating risks. Considering the incomplete conditions of agricultural insurance and futures markets, the results of this study will help identify behavioral characteristics of large-scale farmers and optimize their price-risk-management strategies, further stabilizing large-scale farm management.

Details

China Agricultural Economic Review, vol. 16 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-137X

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Article
Publication date: 6 August 2018

Xuyuan Zheng, Weiping Liu, Zhigang Xu, Ruiyao Ying and Chunhui Ye

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the heterogeneity of regional grain production distribution in China, by examining the regional heterogeneity of absolute and relative…

328

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the heterogeneity of regional grain production distribution in China, by examining the regional heterogeneity of absolute and relative changes in grain planting acreage, and explain it in terms of increasing labor costs and difficulties in agricultural inputs adjustment.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses data from official statistical yearbooks and the satellite remote sensing image data of Landsat TM 30 m. Multivariate analysis is conducted to examine the effect of labor cost, difficulty in replacing agricultural input factors and other factors underpinning changes in grain acreage and grain structure adjustment.

Findings

The heterogeneity of changes in grain acreage and proportion of arable area for grain production are mainly determined using the labor cost and difficulties in the replacement of agricultural input factors.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to systematically analyze the heterogeneity in restructuring grain production at provincial level and its causes. The results not only provide evidence of grain production restructuring at regional level, but also contribute to the understanding of the law of structural change in agricultural production.

Details

China Agricultural Economic Review, vol. 10 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-137X

Keywords

Available. Open Access. Open Access
Article
Publication date: 5 June 2020

Zijun Jiang, Zhigang Xu, Yunchao Li, Haigen Min and Jingmei Zhou

Precise vehicle localization is a basic and critical technique for various intelligent transportation system (ITS) applications. It also needs to adapt to the complex road…

1185

Abstract

Purpose

Precise vehicle localization is a basic and critical technique for various intelligent transportation system (ITS) applications. It also needs to adapt to the complex road environments in real-time. The global positioning system and the strap-down inertial navigation system are two common techniques in the field of vehicle localization. However, the localization accuracy, reliability and real-time performance of these two techniques can not satisfy the requirement of some critical ITS applications such as collision avoiding, vision enhancement and automatic parking. Aiming at the problems above, this paper aims to propose a precise vehicle ego-localization method based on image matching.

Design/methodology/approach

This study included three steps, Step 1, extraction of feature points. After getting the image, the local features in the pavement images were extracted using an improved speeded up robust features algorithm. Step 2, eliminate mismatch points. Using a random sample consensus algorithm to eliminate mismatched points of road image and make match point pairs more robust. Step 3, matching of feature points and trajectory generation.

Findings

Through the matching and validation of the extracted local feature points, the relative translation and rotation offsets between two consecutive pavement images were calculated, eventually, the trajectory of the vehicle was generated.

Originality/value

The experimental results show that the studied algorithm has an accuracy at decimeter-level and it fully meets the demand of the lane-level positioning in some critical ITS applications.

Details

Journal of Intelligent and Connected Vehicles, vol. 3 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2399-9802

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Article
Publication date: 24 January 2022

Zhigang Xu, Kerong Zhang, Li Zhou and Ruiyao Ying

While the peer effects of technology adoption are well established, few studies have considered the variation in peer effects resulting from the mutual proximity between leaders…

579

Abstract

Purpose

While the peer effects of technology adoption are well established, few studies have considered the variation in peer effects resulting from the mutual proximity between leaders and followers and the heterogeneity of farmers' learning technology. This study addresses the gap in the literature by analyzing the peer effects of technology adoption among Chinese farmers.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on a government-led soil testing and formulated fertilization program, this study uses survey data of farmers from three Chinese provinces to examine the peer effects of technology adoption. This study uses a probit model to examine how mutual proximity influences peer effects and their heterogeneity. Accordingly, farmers were divided into two groups, namely small- and large-scale farmers, and then into leaders or followers depending on whether they were selected by the government as model farmers.

Findings

Both small- and large-scale farmers are more likely to use formula fertilizer if their peers do so. However, a large-scale farmer is more likely to adopt formula fertilizer if the average adoption behavior of other large-scale model (leader) farmers is higher, while a small-scale farmer is more likely to adopt formula fertilizer if other small-scale non-model (follower) farmers have higher average adoption behavior. Moreover, the peer effect was weakened by geographic distance among small-scale farmers and by economic distance among large-scale farmers.

Originality/value

This study elucidates the means of optimizing social learning and technology adoption among farmers.

Details

China Agricultural Economic Review, vol. 14 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-137X

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Article
Publication date: 7 August 2018

Dingqiang Sun, Michael Rickaille and Zhigang Xu

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the determinants and impacts of outsourcing pest and disease management on rice production in China.

743

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the determinants and impacts of outsourcing pest and disease management on rice production in China.

Design/methodology/approach

A multinomial endogenous treatment effects model which accounts for selection bias was used.

Findings

The results show that outsourcing decisions are driven mainly by the size of the farm, the age of the household head and other household characteristics. Further, the authors find that outsourcing labor for pest and disease control has no significant effect on pest control cost and rice yields, though it reduces the number of pesticide applications. Conversely, outsourcing of professional services can increase rice yields by 4.1 percent, and at the same time it increases pest and disease control costs by 50.6 percent. However, it is found that outsourcing of professional services exerts no significant impact on the farm profitability.

Practical implications

This study suggests that households with large farm size are more likely to outsource professional services and, therefore, service providers and governments should target those farmers to provide incentives and create greater awareness of the benefits from the outsourcing of professional services. Moreover, the increase in yields along with the government subsidy justifies the outsourcing of professional services by farmers. However, service providers and policy makers have a lot of leeway to come up with cheaper methods for pest and disease management in rice production.

Originality/value

This study is the first attempt to simultaneously evaluate the determinants and impacts of outsourcing pest and disease management on rice production in China.

Details

China Agricultural Economic Review, vol. 10 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-137X

Keywords

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Book part
Publication date: 9 March 2021

Alevtina Dubovitskaya

Abstract

Details

The Emerald Handbook of Blockchain for Business
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83982-198-1

Keywords

Available. Content available

Abstract

Details

China Agricultural Economic Review, vol. 3 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-137X

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Article
Publication date: 25 April 2022

Shouying Liu and Baojin Wang

The decline in the share of agriculture in both output and employment is a central feature of structural transformation. The authors present the distinct features between…

599

Abstract

Purpose

The decline in the share of agriculture in both output and employment is a central feature of structural transformation. The authors present the distinct features between developed and developing countries in the process of agricultural share decline and dig into the real changes that occurred in the agricultural sector during the rapid decline in the agricultural share.

Design/methodology/approach

Taking the declining share of agriculture as a clue, the authors depict heterogeneous characteristics in the declining share of agriculture in developed and developing countries. Secondly, by criticizing the factor substitution hypothesis, the authors argue that the essence of agricultural transformation is the process of agricultural industrialization characterized by the combination, reconstruction, and continual changes of agricultural production factors. Finally, based on the theory of agricultural industrialization, this paper analyzes the combination of factors in different stages of declining agricultural share in typical economies.

Findings

In this paper, the authors find that the rapid decline in agricultural employment share is accompanied by an increase in the returns to agricultural production in developed economies. In contrast, the decline in agricultural employment share in developing economies lags, and agricultural production efficiency is way much poorer than that of developed economies. Taking the United States and Japan as examples, the authors find that the agricultural sector underwent agricultural industrialization, featured by reconstruction and upgrades of production factors combination.

Originality/value

The authors systematically reveal why huge changes occurred in the agricultural sector in developed economies during structural transformation, and also provide further thoughts and lessons for developing countries to accomplish agricultural modernization.

Details

China Agricultural Economic Review, vol. 14 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-137X

Keywords

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Book part
Publication date: 9 March 2021

Timothy Grief and Ehsan Nikbakht

Abstract

Details

The Emerald Handbook of Blockchain for Business
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83982-198-1

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 2 February 2022

Chang Xu, Baodong Cheng and Mengzhen Zhang

This article's purpose is to examine the effect of a Classification-Based Forest Management (CFM) program on farmers' income and determine whether its effect varies with the…

278

Abstract

Purpose

This article's purpose is to examine the effect of a Classification-Based Forest Management (CFM) program on farmers' income and determine whether its effect varies with the degree of farmers' concurrent occupations.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use representative panel survey data from Longquan to explore the welfare effects of CFM on farmers. The analysis uses differences-in-differences with propensity score matching (PSM-DID) estimation techniques to deal with endogeneity problems when farmers make the decision to participate in CFM.

Findings

The results show that CFM has a positive effect on part-time forestry households (where forestry income accounts for between 5 and 50% of total income). In contrast, it has a negative impact on full-time forestry households (forestry income accounts for more than 50%), and no clear effect on nonforestry households whose forestry income is less than 5%. This research also shows that the positive effect of CFM on farmers' total income is mainly due to increase of off-farm income driven by CFM, while the negative effects consist of CFM's reduction of forestry income.

Originality/value

The extent of CFM's economic benefits to farmers is uncertain and largely unexplored. This paper analyzes the impact of CFM on income structure to explore the mechanisms explaining its effects on farmers' income. There are still challenges in ensuring the reliability and accuracy of CFM assessment. This paper collected natural experimental data and used the estimation technology of PSM-DID to solve the possible endogeneity problems.

Details

China Agricultural Economic Review, vol. 14 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-137X

Keywords

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