Study On Farmer's Management Behavior And Affecting Factors Of Part-time Farmer's Households In Under-developed Area

Title of the thesis: Study on Farmer's Management Behavior and Affecting Factors of Part-time Farmer's Households in Under-developed Area ; Author: Niu-Fuxiang ; Supervisor: Wang-Yihuan; Specialty: Crop production; Field of research : Rural Development; College: college of Humanities and Development; Application Data: April,2004.Since the introduction of farmer household responsibility system in rural in China, farmer households have become the main unit of rural market economy, and gained the greatest power of self-decision management, but faced huge risk from market at the same time. Affected by many factors, the increases of farmers' income have slowed down and even decreased in China since late 1990s. The issues on agriculture, rural areas and farmers have become more and more important and urgent problem. The No.l documents of Central Committee of CPC and premier's governmental work report from the second session of the tenth National People's Congress in 2004 indicated that how to increase fanner's income by all means is the focus work of all grades of Party Committees and governments. The experiences and practice results in many developed countries and regions indicate that management of part-time farmer's household has been proved an effective and successful measure to increase the farmer's income and reduce the market risk.Four farmer's cases who own different characteristics and backgrounds, and forty farmer households questionnaires were done in this paper to study the differences of management behavior and farmer's income in the process of management of part-time farmer's household in sweetpotato production area-Sixian county, Anhui Province. Many kinds of factors which affect farmer's behaviors of management, and of farmer household's income were analyzed in terms of the data got from questionnaires and systematical conversation and structured or semi-structured interview with four typical farmer households by door-to-door. The relationship between farmers and government were discussed in general. At the end of the paper, research conclusion and policy suggestions were given.The study can be divided into fives parts:I .To put forward the problem and its background, expound the purpose and significance of the study.II .To review the internal and external studies on the behavior and management way of part-time farmers' households and their affecting factors.III.To explain the basic concepts, make the hypotheses, introduce the concerned theories, construct the study outline and methodology, and introduce the region's background.IV.To introduce and analyze systematically the cases and questionnaires data, and make detailed studies on behaviors and ways of management of part-time farmers' household, and their affecting factors and the relationship between fanner's income and management way. Finally the author makes the simple discussion on family decision pattern and sexual division of labor as well.V.To give my research conclusion and policy suggestions on the basis of above analysis. (1) The management of part-time farmer' household are popular in this region, and the income from non-agriculture industry such as sweetpotato processing has become the main sources of family's total income, and income from livestock and working as a causal laborer at the second ranking. The result also shows that family income rises with the prolongation of the industry chains and enlargement of management scope. Furthermore, the non-agriculture sector such as sweetpotato processing wouldabsorb many rural surplus labours or realize their full employment. (2)The agricultural industrialization calls for the reform over the present system of farmland and the application and dissemination of participatory development. (4) Factors such as geographical features, location, socio-economic status, the scale of farms, burden of taxation and fees, the price of agricultural products are the external factors which affect the management behaviors of farmer households; while the number of laborers, coeffici...