Analysis of the Impact of Agricultural Mechanization on the Economic Efficiency of Maize Production

Abstract

Against the background of comprehensively promoting the rural revitalization strategy, the replacement of agricultural labor by agricultural machinery in the hilly area of southwest China has become an indispensable input in the maize production process. Based on the national statistics from 2016 to 2022, the changes of maize planting area, yield, production costs and mechanization level in the southwest hilly area were analyzed through multiple regression. The grey correlation method was used to analyze the influence of production costs and mechanization level of maize planting on its economic efficiency, and the relationship between comprehensive mechanization rate and cost profit margin was predicted by the ridge regression model. The results show that (1) In addition to the planting area, the maize yield, production costs and mechanization level in the southwest hilly area showed an overall upward trend, among which the net profit was negative for six consecutive years, mainly because the labor costs accounted for too much of the total costs; (2) The average annual increase in the level of maize mechanization is 16%, but it is still lower than the national average; (3) Under the condition that other factors remain unchanged, for every 1% increase in the comprehensive mechanization rate, the cost profit margin increases by 0.467%, and it is determined that the most important factors affecting the growth of maize production economic efficiency are the sowing rate and the yield rate. It put forward suggestions to strengthen the mechanization of maize planting and develop maize agricultural harvesting machinery suitable for the hilly area.