The Pattern Of Sustainable Agricultural Development Based On Input-output Model In Inland River Basin In Northwest China

Agriculture is the basic industry of national economy and its sound development in ecosystem is an economic issue with multiple functions for human progress. The modernization of agriculture is a fundamental goal of the Chinese agricultural development in new times. However, a series of critical tasks in theory and practice of regional development need to be implemented in continental river basin in Northwest China and some problems and issues, such as carrying out the Scientific Outlook on Development on middle level of agricultural development, transferring the agricultural producing action of micro subjects in the Heihe River basin to the pattern of sustainable development, performing the pattern of modern agricultural development in changing economic structure and accomplishing harmonious development among economy, society and environment must be solved for the purpose of accelerating modern agricultural development. In this dissertation, Zhangye city in the Heihe River basin, which is the typical continental river in Northwest China, is chose to study the sustainable development of water-saving agriculture on theory and practice, and the main conclusions are as follows:1. Efficient and intensive water-saving agriculture is the specific model of sustainable development of modern agriculture in continental river basin of arid and semiarid regions. The problem of sustainable development of water-saving agriculture on continental basin in Northwest region should be considered and solved from all aspects. Its economic (basic), social, political, ecological and cultural functions should be implemented and achieved from the perspective of the Scientific Outlook on Development.2. Up to now, the pattern of water-saving agricultural development in continental river basin in Northwest China is transitional one between traditional and modern agriculture. The reasons of that are as follows: first, the growing mode of agriculture and rural economy is extensive and their quality and effectiveness are not yet improved significantly; second, the agriculture is developed slowly and its modernization falls behind the level of industrialization and urbanization in local region; third, the institutional barriers such as the dual structure between urban and rural economy still affects interactions among industries; fourth, gains from agriculture are comparatively low and outflow of rural productivity elements are serious; fifth, the investment in agriculture is insufficient and the transformation rate of technologies is low; sixth, the whole industry development is restrained by the"bottleneck"of water resource deficiency; seventh, the industrialization of agriculture is low and the structural inconsistency between supply and demand of agricultural products is obvious; eighth, the infrastructure of agriculture is backward and the comprehensive productivity is inferior; last, the competition in agriculture is inferior on the whole and the conflict between quality and safety of agricultural products and increase of farmers'income is prominent.Conservation and utilization of water resource is the basic and crucial issue of sustainable agricultural development in continental river basin in Northwest China. The functions of water-saving agriculture there are: first, to ensure food safety and agricultural products supply; second, to eliminate poverty and provide opportunities for farmers'well-off; third, to offer employments for labor force in rural areas; fourth, to extend the agricultural industry chain and increase farmers'income; fifth, to make good use of resources and protect the environment simultaneously; sixth, to create new mode of agriculture and develop tourism industry in villages.3. Owing to the intense dependence of agriculture on natural environment, the water-saving agriculture is the effective pattern of promoting harmonious and sustainable development of the human-earth relation system in the regions of water inefficiency.On the basis of the eco-economic theory, the quantitative research of input-output status in Zhangye city is carried out using the energy-value analysis synthetically, and the results shows as following. First, the output ratio of net energy-value of agricultural eco-economic system is very low, and the competition in attracting investment is weak. Second, burthen rate of environment is high, which means economic activities influence greatly local environment and furthermore it is likely to overload carrying capacity of ecological environment. Third, the index of energy-value drops consistently, that is, it is the consumptive economic system, so that the output capacity of environmental and auxiliary energy-value input is decreasing in agricultural eco-economic system.With the input-output model of virtual water estimate and water-saving industrial structure, the sampling research shows that the water coefficient of agriculture in Zhangye city is significantly higher than the national average. Agricultural development in the region relies heavily on water resources, but efficiency of water use is low; net inflow products are industrial ones of lower coefficient of water and the net outflow products are agricultural ones, which means the output of agricultural products really water resource consumption. So the adjustment of industrial structure can help reduce the over-reliance on water resource in agricultural production in Zhangye City. By virtue of some water-saving measures in construction, management, structure adjustment and industrial development, etc., some key technologies and efficient management mode should be carried out to accomplish water-saving society and solve water resource crisis in Heihe River basin.4. The utilization rate of water resource in Heihe River basin is high and the agricultural water consumes 95 percent of the total water resource, but the utilization efficiency there is lower. The key measure to resolve water crisis in this area is to construct water-saving agricultural technologies applicable in local conditions and establish the intensive management mode by applying multiple ways.5. Policy innovation should be carried out to accomplish sustainable development of water-saving agriculture. The following suggestions about water-saving agricultural development are raised on the basis of experiences at home and abroad. First, it is necessary to build redeeming mechanism of water right. Second, it is also vital to build legal and policy system. Third, the management system should be improved. Fourth, some projects can play important role on performing infrastructure construction. Fifth, the adjustment of agricultural structure should be promoted and optimized. Sixth, the reform of water price in agriculture should be implemented to achieve stable allowance.