Abstract:

【Objective】 This paper investigated the effects of improved upland rice technology on rice farmers’ income, and helped promoting agricultural technological innovation and progress. 【Method】 In solving the “cause and effect” problem that the conventionally-used descriptive statistical methods may suffer, this paper, by employing the non-parametric Propensity Score Matching (PSM) method, assessed the effects of improved upland rice technology on rice farmers’ income, based on the field survey of 473 farm households in 16 villages in 8 counties in southwestern Yunnan during the periods of 2000, 2002 and 2004. 【Result】 Using PSM, incomes of these farm households who adopted improved upland rice technology were 1.49 times, 1.34 times and 1.23 times of the situation that did not adopt in 2000, 2002 and 2004, respectively. Using the usually-used descriptive statistical methods, incomes of those farm households who adopted were 1.79 times, 1.49 times and 1.27 times of those who did not adopt, respectively. 【Conclusion】 The improved upland rice technology had positive and robust effects on upland rice farmers’ income increase. However, the effects were showing a diminishing trend during the periods concerned. Furthermore, compared with the PSM method, the usually-used descriptive statistical methods were likely to overestimate the effects of technology adoption.

Key words: effects assessment, propensity score matching, agricultural technology adoption, farmers’ income