Constructing and applying an evaluation index system to assess the techno-economic effects of rice mechanization in China

Abstract

This paper applies the Wuli-Shili-Renli (WSR) methodology to construct an index system that evaluates the technical and economic effects of rice mechanization (TER). The system includes 26 indicators, and the study calculates the weight of each indicator using hierarchical analysis (AHP). The study also includes an empirical analysis of the TER in China and main producing provinces from 2008 to 2018. The study yielded the following key results. 1) The TER in China increased in its fluctuations from 2008 to 2018. 2) Land productivity and labor productivity increased significantly, positively contributing to the TER in China. Indicators such as seed usage per unit of operating area decreased steadily, negatively affecting the TER in China. The efficiency of agricultural machinery management and other organizations continued to improve during the study period, increasing the TER. 3) Most of the regions with high TER are located in the dominant main production areas in the northeast and the dominant main production areas in the Yangtze River basin. Most of the rice producing provinces in the southeast production areas ranked in the middle and lower levels. This paper concludes that the TER in China could be improved by improving the refinement of agricultural machinery operations, increasing the degree of large-scale land management in small-plot provinces such as Yunnan, and increasing the research and development of suitable agricultural machinery.