Rising wages, mechanization, and the substitution between capital and labor: evidence from small scale farm system in China
This article aims to investigate major factors that led to the observed pace of mechanization and the substitution between labor and machines in rural China. We used commodity‐wise province‐level panel data for more than a quarter of a century from 1984 to 2012. The analysis demonstrated a dramatic...
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Published in | Agricultural economics Vol. 47; no. 3; pp. 309 - 317 |
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Main Authors | , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Malden
Blackwell Publishing Ltd
01.05.2016
Wiley Subscription Services, Inc |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | This article aims to investigate major factors that led to the observed pace of mechanization and the substitution between labor and machines in rural China. We used commodity‐wise province‐level panel data for more than a quarter of a century from 1984 to 2012. The analysis demonstrated a dramatic increase in real agricultural wages in recent years, especially after 2003, in contrast to a relatively stable real machine price. The relative price of machines against agricultural labor has declined in an accelerating way, which contributed to the observed rapid introduction of machines. The elasticity of substitution between labor and machines was large in some commodities, which contributed to a fast substitution of labor by machines. |
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Bibliography: | Chinese Academy of Sciences - No. KSZD-EW-Z-021-1; Y02015004 We acknowledge the funding from National Natural Sciences of China - No. 71373255; 71333013 ark:/67375/WNG-947F9SR5-L ArticleID:AGEC12231 Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research - No. 2012RC102; 2012ZD208 istex:EAD0F0BE7D017469E20BCD11B533E0C1CD2339F9 Data Appendix Available Online A data appendix to replicate main results is available in the online version of this article. ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 |
ISSN: | 0169-5150 1574-0862 |
DOI: | 10.1111/agec.12231 |