Analysis Of Constraints On Water Chestnut Production Development In Hezhou Prefecture Of Guangxi Autonomous Region

Water chestnut is a preponderant and characteristic industry of plant production in Hezhou Prefecture of Guangxi Autonomous Region. However, the products has not been developed so much as the expectation of a key industry in Hezhou Prefecture. Based on the situation of demand exceeds supply in the market, the author would like to find out the constraints of the water chestnut development by use of PRA (participatory rural appraisal) in a survey to carry out stakeholder analysis including the water chestnut farmers, government and processing companies. Also, the author applied a tool of System Theory to analyze the constraints of water chestnut plant production development. The results are as following:The study shows that a main factor that restricts the plant yield (per unit yield) and quality (product quality) of water chestnut is the low level of prevention and control of water chestnut culms damping-off; a disease of the water chestnut. As the low plant yield (per unit yield) and low quality (product quality) and comparatively lower profit of agriculture, the farmers could not increase their income by extending planting water chestnut area.The result shows that the main reason that restricts the development of water chestnut plant production in Hezhou Prefecture is that the farmers are lack of integrated cultivation technologies and management skills of water chestnut production with high yielded and high qualification.Finally, some recommendations were put forward by author for further development of water chestnut plant production in Hezhou Prefecture.