Improving China's alfalfa industry development: an economic analysis
China Agricultural Economic Review
ISSN: 1756-137X
Article publication date: 23 September 2020
Issue publication date: 12 January 2021
Abstract
Purpose
This study analyzes the factors which affect the alfalfa cultivation acreage in China and estimates the development of alfalfa planting by the supply model.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the characteristics and actual conditions of alfalfa cultivation in China, a naïve empirical model was created to analyze the impact of various influencing factors on the cultivation acreage of alfalfa.
Findings
The analysis of influential factors shows that China's alfalfa planting conforms to naïve price behavior. The prices of alfalfa and per capita arable land occupancy have a positive effect on the cultivation acreage, while the price of competitive crops and transportation costs have a negative effect on the production of alfalfa. Lastly, the 2012 alfalfa subsidy policy has a significant negative impact on alfalfa cultivation acreage.
Research limitations/implications
Due to the limited research on alfalfa supply in China, there is a lack of available research data and statistical data. A large number of data in this study are mainly indirect data derived and calculated from other industrial data. The measurement results may not be fully accurate.
Originality/value
This study represents the first empirical analysis of the characteristics of the factors influencing alfalfa cultivation acreage in China. The secondary data were used to analyze the influence of various control variables on the cultivation acreage of alfalfa, which is different from existing research.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This paper was supported by the National Science Foundation of China (No. 71873130). The author thanks Professor Yanqing Duan, University of Bedfordshire, and the anonymous reviewers for their valuable feedback, comments, and suggestions. All interpretations and shortcomings are the responsibility of the author.
Citation
Wang, W. (2021), "Improving China's alfalfa industry development: an economic analysis", China Agricultural Economic Review, Vol. 13 No. 1, pp. 211-228. https://doi.org/10.1108/CAER-07-2019-0128
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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