Do Agricultural Production Services Improve Farmers’ Grain Production Efficiency?—Empirical Evidence from China

Fang Liu, Lili Gu (), Cai Liao and Wei Xue
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Fang Liu: College of Economics and Management, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
Lili Gu: College of Economics and Management, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
Cai Liao: College of Economics and Management, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
Wei Xue: College of Economics and Management, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 13, 1-17

Abstract: (1) Background: Global grain production faces challenges such as increasing demands due to population growth, limited arable land resources, and climate change, with natural resource and environmental constraints becoming increasingly stringent. Traditional smallholder economies struggle to meet the increasing demand for grain, resulting in a tight balance between grain supply and demand. Therefore, to improve grain production efficiency (GPE), clarifying the specific effects of agricultural production services (APS), a new driving force on farmers’ GPE, is critical for ensuring grain security and achieving sustainable grain production. (2) Methods: Through the super-efficiency Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Tobit models, and utilizing microdata from 747 farmers from the China Rural Revitalization Survey (CRRS), we analyzed the differences in farmers’ operating scales and types of agricultural production services to determine the extent and specific implementation effects of agricultural production services on the farmers’ GPE. (3) Results: agricultural production services enhanced the farmers’ GPE. Specifically, labor-intensive services (LIS) markedly improved the GPE of smallholder farmers but not large-scale farmers; technology-intensive services (TIS) did not have a substantial influence on either the smallholder farmers or large-scale farmers. There were significant regional differences in the threshold effect of agricultural production services on the GPE of the farmers. (4) Conclusions: Providers of agricultural production services should enhance their service capabilities to meet farmers’ diverse service needs. Government departments should establish uniform service standards and regulate industry development. Village and community organizations should leverage their grassroots coordination functions to facilitate the efficient operation of services. In addition, tailored development models should be developed for farmers of different scales, and they should be provided with financial and technical support as well as institutional guarantees.

Keywords: agricultural production services; farmers’ grain production efficiency; super-efficiency DEA model; Tobit model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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