Analysis Of Scale Grain Production And Technology Adoption Characteristics In Gaoyou

The stable production of grain is of critical importance to food security in China. The scale production and management of grain has become one of the developmental trends of agricultural production in China at the present stage. It represents a significant change in agricultural production and is an important means to improve agricultural productivity. In this paper, a case study was conducted in Gaoyou, a major grain producing area in Jiangsu Province, to investigate the status quo of scale production and management of grain, the cost and profit, and technology adoption of different types of households. Statistical data from 2003 to 2013 from Gaoyou, Yangzhou, and Jiangsu Province, as well as the survey data from 150 large-scale and 77 ordinary farmers, were collected and analyzed. The objectives of this study were to explore the measures of increasing profit of scale grain production and management and also to provide reference for grain scale production in other counties in Yangzhou and in the important counties of grain production in Jiangsu Province. The main results are as follows:(1) In recent years, there is a rapid growth in grain production in Gaoyou. Its total output of grain ranks in the forefront of cities and counties in Yangzhou, with an increment in total output significantly higher than that of Yangzhou and Jiangsu Province. During the period from 2004 to 2013, the grain yield per unit area and grain share per capita increased steadily in Gaoyou City, Yangzhou City and Jiangsu Province. The rain yield per unit area and grain share per capita in Gaoyou City were significantly higher than those in Yangzhou and Jiangsu Province. In average, each farm labor in Gaoyou City produces 10027.28 kg grain, a level that is 36.4% and 78.82% higher than that in Yangzhou City and Jiangsu Province. In recent years, the merchandise rate of grain in Gaoyou remained at around 79% basically, and the amount of food for sale is on the rise.(2) At present stage,73.3% family farms,28.7% scale producers of grain and livesotck,2%, farmer cooperatives and 24.6% agricultural land stock cooperatives are engaged in grain production. This indicates that family farms play a fundamental role in grain production. Scale producers of grain or livestock and agricultural land stock cooperatives are primarily involved in aquaculture. Farmer cooperatives are mainly involved in providing social services such as plant protection and agricultural machines.(3) Scale grain producers have significant advantages in cost, efficiency and level of mechanization over ordinary grain producers.The rice, wheat production costs and labor costs of different types and different sizes of large-scale operations were lower than ordinary farmers. Scale of operation between [200,300) mu the large grain of Rice and the total cost of wheat yield per mu were the highest,17.8kg/mu and 13.8kg/mu higher than the ordinary farmer respectively. Scale of operation between [200,300) mu the large grain of net income per mu were the highest (813 yuan/mu),5.56% higher than the ordinary farmer. Described in the current food production levels of Gaoyou, the per household optimal size is 200-300 mu; the per labor optimal size is 100-150 mu (mean of approximately 114.81 mu).(4) In the conception of technology adoption, compared with ordinary farmers, seed sources, seeding rate, nitrogen fertilizer, organic fertilizer, straw etc., large scale farmers are similar to ordinary farmers, has no obvious advantage and still more traditional experience-based cultivation, such as seed sources, seeding rate, nitrogen fertilizer, organic fertilizer, straw etc. On farming methods, more ordinary sample households mainly to free tillage. Grain production scales between [200,300) mu have little difference with individual farmers in wheat farming methods. Scale of operation between [300,400) mu the large grain and farm family of deeper plowing than the column of sample households were 75% and 66.7%. Ordinary sample households in the sample households seeding rice and mechanical transplanting accounted for 46.1%,38.2% respectively, while scale of operation between [300,400) mu the large grain and farm family of mechanical transplanting than the column of sample households were respectively 75%,100%; ordinary farmers to sow wheat-based mostly artificial, which accounted for up to 77.6%, while scale of operation between [300,400) mu the large grain and farm family of mechanical drilling than the column of sample households were respectively 75%、66.7%.N-fertilization on wheat, more ordinary sample households mainly to artificial broadcast application, mechanical fertilization than the column of sample households was just 0.9%, while scale of operation above 400 mu the large grain and farm family of Mechanical fertilization than the column of sample households were respectively 50%,54.5%.(5) In terms of grain production and technology adoption, large scale farmers do not have obvious advantage compared with the ordinary farmers. Traditional cultivation methods and concepts are still relatively common. Large-scale farmers have a similar situation with the ordinary in the adoption of seed sources, seeding rate, nitrogen application rate, organic fertilizer, returning straw and other related technology, which are still using more traditional experience plantation. In N-fertilization, scale of operation above 300 mu the large-scale grain producers have a higher ratio than the ordinary farmers in the adoption of mechanical fertilization, but the low adoption rate of "foliar spraying" and other new fertilizer technology is similar to the ordinary farmers; in terms of the adoption of the Soil testing Fertilization, the awareness rate of the large-scale grain producers is higher than the ordinary farmers, but the low adoption rate is similar to the farmers, which shows that the ideas of traditional grain cultivation are firmly in the large-scale grain producers and acceptance of the new technology is not strong. In the future to a further production condition improvement in accordance with changes in production scale, up to 300-400 mu, to improve crop production rate of adoption of new technologies. In the future to further improve production conditions in accordance with changes in production scale, up to 300-400 mu, to improve crop production rate of adoption of new technologies.(6) Based on the above analyses, suggestions were proposed to promote the scale management of grain production in Gaoyou, such as developing appropriate scale production, enhancing the producers’ qualification, constructing a socialized support system, and enhancing the capability of different sizes and business models and supporting rational combination and so on.