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Reform Of Irrigation Water Price In Water-saving Perspective

Posted on:2015-04-20Degree:DoctorType:Dissertation
Country:ChinaCandidate:J P CaoFull Text:PDF
GTID:1109330461453313Subject:Agricultural Economics and Management
Abstract/Summary:PDF Full Text Request
In China, water resources are in short supply and the quantity of agricultural water using is massive, whereas its utilization efficiency is at a surprisingly low level. Theoretical and practical researches have proved that the lower price is the main cause for agricultural water wasting. The extremely lower water price not only loses its constraints for water consuming but also motivates water-using wasting. Thus, it has great realistic significance and academic value to study the agricultural water price reform to promote agricultural water saving.Based on some relative economic theories, we made a detailed investigation in Shandong province. Our investigation includes the following four aspects: the development of agricultural water and irrigation areas, the system of agricultural water price, and current situation of water price in the typical irrigation areas(including yellow-river irrigation area, reservoir irrigation area, well irrigation area, canal-digging/lake-leading irrigation area, small-sized irrigation area etc) and the comprehensive reforming experiment of agricultural water price. We have obtained quantities of first-hand information and our study is mainly based on these massive investigation materials.The main contents and conclusions are as follows:(1) The irrigation agriculture in Shandong Province is in a higher level and the quantity of agricultural water using is massive. The major type of irrigation areas in Shandong Province include yellow-river irrigation area, reservoir irrigation area, well irrigation area, canal-digging/lake-leading irrigation area and small-sized water source irrigation area etc.(2)The agricultural water pricing method is mainly based on water supply cost in major irrigation areas in Shandong province. By implementing terminal water price system, the calculating method of water price has slight differences in different irrigation areas. The fees of yellow-river irrigation area and reservoir irrigation area are charged in accordance to the irrigation area(i.e. charging by “Mu”), while the fees of the irrigation area is charged by irrigation power consumption. Concerning the other irrigation areas(canal-digging / lake-leading irrigation area and small-sized water source irrigation area), the fees are charged either by “Fang”, “Mu” or power consumption. The principal problems of Shandong agricultural water price system are the singleness of its calculating and the backwardness of its method.(3) Yellow-river irrigation area is the most typical irrigation area. And its agriculturalwater price implements the state administrative pricing for a long time. The standard priceis 0.56 Fen(100 Fen=1Yuan) per cubic meter while the other irrigation areas are almost thesame. The major problems of the irrigation areas are lower price, difficult fee-collectingand the implementing water price is extremely low. In some irrigation areas, the price evencan not reach to 0.01 Yuan per cubic meter which distorts the water price system andinfluences the effective utilization of water resources.(4) Reservoir irrigation area is the comparatively important irrigation area. Itsagricultural water price is also regulated by the government and maintains its price at 0.10Yuan per cubic meter or so. The main existing problem is also the low price and lowefficiency.(5) The pricing of the other irrigation areas are charged by the actual cost. Generally, it is set by the actual using amount. The main costing items are mechanical facility fees and fuel power fees(diesel or electricity bill). The current existing problem is the incompleteness of cost-accounting which made the actual water price underestimated.(6) For reforming agricultural water price, previous attempts has made on some reforming experiment in Shandong province. Among them, the most significant ones are Terminal water price reforming experiment and water price subsidy-raising experiment, which proved to bring out better effect. On one hand, those experiments provide precious experience for reference; on the other hand, it also reflects its weakness in narrow experimental scope and limited promotion and application.(7) Focused on the problems generated from our investigation, this thesis puts forward countermeasures and suggestions for comprehensive reform of agricultural water price. They are as follows: implementing terminal water price system and charging agricultural water fees on the field; applying various forms to raise agricultural water price, such as two-part tariff system, subsidy-raising, project-pricing system, etc.; employing water-saving cost-oriented pricing to set up a standard for reference of agricultural water price-raising; enhancing the management of water rate collection to avoid arrearage and to restore authentic water price.
Keywords/Search Tags:agricultural water, water price reform, water-saving cost-oriented pricing, subsidy-raising of water price
PDF Full Text Request
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