The Study On Factors That Influence The Gaps Among Farmer Agricultural Labor Productivity In Zhejiang Province

Since the reform and opening up, China’s economy has been growing rapidly.However, the income gap is very clear. It is vital to increase farmers’ income to narrow thewidening gap. The low agricultural labor productivity is the fundamental economic reasonthat limits the growth of income level. In order to increase farmers’ income, curb thedisparity of urban-rural income, promote the transformation of agricultural economicgrowth mode, and develop modern agriculture, it has important significance to researchhow to improve agricultural labor productivity and narrow its gap.This paper uses the data of fixed observation points in rural areas of Zhejiang from2006to2010. The paper resolves farmer agricultural labor productivity into several factors,by using the stochastic frontier production function. Then the paper analyses how thesefactors influence the gaps among farmer agricultural labor productivity in Zhejiang withcounterfactual analysis. The paper tests the contribution of these factors and exogenousvariables which influence the gaps among farmer agricultural technical efficiency based onShapley value. The conclusions are as follows:(1) Farmer labor per agricultural materialcost is the most important factor which leads to the growth and the expansion of the gapsamong farmer agricultural labor productivity, its average contribution rate of the gaps is56.73%;(2) Farmer agricultural technical efficiency is one of the factors that raises theagricultural labor productivity and expands the gaps, the rate is15.77%, what’s more, non-agricultural activities influence the gaps among farmer agricultural technical efficiencymost evidently, the rate is75.41%;(3) Farmer frontier technology is one of the factors thatleads to the expansion of the gaps, the rate is19.57%;(4)Farmer labor per agriculturalfarming area and the number of agricultural labor of each family hardly influence the gaps,their rates are7.01%and0.92%.Instead of increasing investment in agricultural material elements, the growth ofagricultural labor productivity should depend on science and technology. Therefore, thepaper comes up with several policy recommendations. Firstly, improve the conditions foragricultural science and technology innovation. Secondly, improve agricultural researchevaluation system. Thirdly, strengthen the grass-roots agricultural extension services. Atlast, train rural practical talents vigorously.