Study On Minor Grain Crops Industry In Baicheng City From The Supply Chain Perspective

Minor grain crops are commonly known as minor grain and bean crops, including commonbuckwheat, tartary buckwheat, oat, broomcorn millet, sorghum, millet, grain amaranth, highland barley,mung bean, adzuki bean, pea, bean, black soybean and so on. Minor grain crops with characteristics ofshort growth period, adaptable, flexible planting, cold and impoverishment resistance, play anirreplaceable role in the farming system reform and adjustment of planting structure. Minor grain cropsare commonly away from pollution sources. Pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides and other chemicals arerarely used in the minor grain crops production process. Minor grain crops are recognized as naturalgreen food with multiple nutrients around the world. With the improvement of people’s healthawareness and dietary structure, demand of minor grains at home and abroad increases year by year.Therefore, the development of minor grain crop industry plays a significant role in food security,improvement of food structure, increase of farmers’ income, alleviation of rural poverty and promotingof land availability for agricultural use.The major objectives of this research are, to analyze the current situation and cost-benefit ofproduction, processing and sale along the minor grain crop supply chain in Baicheng City, quantify thedeterminants of farmers’ sales timing, focus on family liquidity constraints, agricultural storage facilitiesand wealth status’s effect on the farmers’ sale timing, and provide some policy recommendations. Thispaper analyzes424minor grain crop farmers,7processing and trade enterprises and10brokers samplessurveyed in Baicheng City, Jilin Province in2011and2012. Using the statistical analysis andeconometric models to analyze the minor grain crop supply chain and determinants of farmers’ saletiming, the paper draws the following conclusions：(1)The minor grain crop supply chain in BaichengCity is short, lack of deep processing. Farmers’ organization degree is low, and the minor grain crops’price is unstable. Though the wholesale market is very developed, the farmers’ market channels arequite limited;(2) Farmers’ sale timing faces many constraints, about29.7%of households sell theirfreshly harvested minor grain within three months,70.3%of households sell their freshly harvestedminor grain after three months;(3) Warehousing facilities has a negative impact on farmers’ sale timing.Household borrowing has a positive impact on farmers’ sale timing. Household wealth has a negativeimpact on farmers’ sale timing. Based on the finding of this study, the paper provides some policyrecommendations:(1)Improve the rural financial markets to ease the financial constraints offarmers;(2)Provide information services, support farmers to build storage facilities and guide farmers tostorage minor grain scientifically;(3) Focus on the development of minor grains processing industry toextend the supply chain;(4) Strengthen the construction of minor grains market and improve marketing.