Study On The Production Behavior And Influencing Factors Of Beef Cattle Farmers In Henan Province

China is a major country in animal husbandry,and the beef cattle breeding industry is an important part of China’s animal husbandry.In recent years,the demand for beef by residents has gradually shifted from quantity to quality,and "improving quality and increasing quantity" has become one of the themes of the beef cattle industry’s development.As an indispensable production material in animal husbandry,antimicrobial drugs play an important role in promoting the growth of livestock and poultry,controlling non-communicable diseases,improving breeding efficiency,and ensuring the effective supply of livestock and poultry products.However,the disorderly market order of veterinary antimicrobial drugs in China and the unscientific use of drugs by breeders have led to excessive antibiotic residues in livestock and poultry products.In order to ensure the quality and safety of livestock and poultry products and accelerate the green and sustainable development of animal husbandry,the Chinese government has gradually introduced increasingly strict and standardized policies.In October2021,the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs issued the "National Action Plan for the Reduction of Veterinary Antibiotic Use in Livestock and Poultry(2021-2025)" to ensure that the use of veterinary antibiotics per ton of animal products produced in the country will continue to decline during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period.How to effectively achieve the reduction of antimicrobial drugs and their replacement has become a key and difficult issue of concern for government departments and the academic community.The key to reducing the use of antimicrobial drugs lies in reducing their use and replacing them with alternatives.As the direct user of antimicrobial drugs,the breeder must be the focus of achieving the goal of reducing antimicrobial drug usage.Henan Province is a major province for beef cattle breeding in China and has advantages in terms of geographical location,beef cattle breeds,market potential,and industry foundation.Moreover,farmers in Henan Province have a tradition of breeding.Therefore,based on the research data of 281 beef cattle breeders in Henan Province and relying on the "National Action Plan for the Reduction of Veterinary Antibiotic Use in Livestock and Poultry(2021-2025)",this article uses the Probit model and negative binomial regression model to empirically analyze the selection and intensity of the beef cattle breeders’ behavior in reducing antimicrobial drug usage.Based on the empirical results,this article proposes countermeasures and suggestions.The main conclusions of this article are:(1)There is a correlation between the various measures adopted by livestock farmers to reduce the use of antibiotics.Among the 281 livestock farmers surveyed,72.60% of them adopted measures to reduce the use of antibiotics,which is a positive sign.(2)The factors that influence the choice of livestock farmers to reduce the use of antibiotics include age,education level,whether they raise other livestock,years of experience in livestock farming,whether they have joined a cooperative,awareness of health risks,policy awareness,and government supervision.According to the average marginal effect size,the factors that have the greatest impact are government supervision,whether they have joined a cooperative,policy awareness,whether they raise other livestock,awareness of health risks,education level,years of experience in livestock farming,and age.(3)Livestock farmers with higher education levels,a higher proportion of income from livestock farming,longer years of experience in livestock farming,membership in a cooperative,greater awareness of health risks and policy,and acceptance of government supervision and subsidies exhibit greater intensity in reducing the use of antibiotics.According to the odds ratio,the factors that have the strongest impact are government supervision,whether they have joined a cooperative,government subsidies,awareness of health risks,policy awareness,the proportion of income from livestock farming,education level,and years of experience in livestock farming.(4)Livestock farmers with higher education levels,longer years of experience in livestock farming,membership in a cooperative,greater awareness of health risks and policy,and acceptance of government supervision not only actively choose to reduce the use of antibiotics,but also exhibit greater intensity in doing so.Based on the above conclusions,the following recommendations are proposed:(1)Improve the cultural level of beef cattle farmers in multiple ways and attach importance to their vocational education.(2)Guide beef cattle farmers to join cooperative organizations through multiple channels.(3)Improve the cognitive level of farmers through multiple channels.(4)Improve the regulatory and subsidy incentive mechanisms for reducing the use of antibiotics by beef cattle farmers from multiple perspectives.