Adoption of Agricultural Mechanization Services among Maize Farmers in China: Impacts of Population Aging and Off-farm Employment

The separation of agricultural mechanization services from the production processes of agriculture represents the division of labor in agriculture and is a kind of innovation in the organization of agricultural production. This study explores the adoption of agricultural mechanization services among maize farmers in China and particularly examines the impacts of population aging and off-farm employment. Based on a cross-sectional data of some 600 maize farmers in 7 provinces of China , the results show that the mechanization rate of maize farming in China is about 61%, wherein over Over 46% adopt agricultural mechanization services, but while less than 15% use own agricultural machines. The proportion of family members aged?60 years old in the household negatively affects the off-farm employment of family members and the adoption of agricultural mechanization services. Also, the percent of family members engaging in off-farm work has a positive effect on maize farmers' agricultural mechanization services adoption. The findings reveal that the increasing population aging and the rising wages in China would foster the demand for agricultural mechanization services in future. This study not only complements the empirical evidence on agricultural mechanization services but also provides a better understanding of the transformation of agriculture in China. Acknowledgement : Thanks to China Center for Agricultural Policy , my coauther Min Shi and my tutor professor Huang jikun