Agric. Econ. - Czech, 2025, 71(3):142-159 | DOI: 10.17221/291/2024-AGRICECON

From 'separation' to 'reconstruction': An analytical framework and empirical test for the adjustment of the relationship between agriculture and animal husbandry of farm householdsOriginal Paper

He Xu1, Shuai Liu ORCID...1,2, Qinghai Guo1,2
1 College of Economics and Management, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, P.R. China
2 Center for Rural Economy in Main Grain Producing Areas, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, P.R. China

The negative benefits derived from the long-term separation of agriculture and animal husbandry in China have hindered the sustainable development of agriculture and the transformation of agricultural modernisation. The relationship between agriculture and animal husbandry is reconstructed from separation to reintegration. Focusing on the micro-agricultural production level, it relies on farmers to moderately adjust the existing family management structure and choose the family management mode combining planting and breeding. Structural and synergistic contradictions exist between agricultural economic development and ecological protection in the main corn-producing areas. Therefore, based on the micro-survey data of Jilin Province, China, the paper analyses the factors and mechanisms that influence farmers' choice of the combined management mode of planting and breeding. The results showed that the scale of land management, the stability of cultivated land management rights, the policy insurance of animal husbandry, the average profit of beef cattle head, and the cognition of income growth of animal husbandry were positively correlated with farmers' choice of the combined management mode. The spatial distance between farming and animal husbandry was negatively correlated with farmers' choice of management mode. There are mediating effects of animal husbandry breeding technology in farmers' choice of combined management mode, and there is regional heterogeneity in farmers' choice of combined management mode. Therefore, the reconstruction of the relationship between agriculture and animal husbandry should rely on large-scale farmers, optimise the planting structure of the main corn-producing areas, take multiple measures to stabilise the management right of cultivated land, and further improve the policy insurance and breeding technical support system of animal husbandry. This study can provide a theoretical framework and practical reference for reconstructing the relationship between agriculture and animal husbandry in China and other developing countries.

Keywords: combination of planting and breeding; main corn-producing areas; management structure adjustment; sustainable agricultural development

Received: August 15, 2024; Revised: January 22, 2025; Accepted: February 7, 2025; Prepublished online: March 20, 2025; Published: March 27, 2025  Show citation

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Xu H, Liu S, Guo Q. From 'separation' to 'reconstruction': An analytical framework and empirical test for the adjustment of the relationship between agriculture and animal husbandry of farm households. Agric. Econ. - Czech. 2025;71(3):142-159. doi: 10.17221/291/2024-AGRICECON.
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