Abstract
Rapid economic development in Inner Mongolia, China, is pushing up the consumption of livestock products as well as forcing the structure of agricultural production to change in recent years. These changes are causing income gaps among farming populations. This study aims: (１) to identify the structural change of agriculture in Inner Mongolia by comparing between 2000 and 2007, (2) to measure the effects of agricultural production factors on income; and (3) to discuss the possible future issues based on the analysis results. Two areas, a pastureland area (33 areas) and a pasture/agricultural area (37 areas) were analyzed in this study. A principal component analysis was conducted for both areas using four concepts with 44 variables regarding land, labor, capital and farming productivity. Using the resultant score of the principal component analysis, a pass analysis was conducted to identify the influence on income of farmers. The result shows a general increase in the income of farmers but the income gap is also widening during 2000 and 2007. Secondly, the production of high economic value grains and livestock has shown to influence the farmers' income in the pasture/agricultural area. Thirdly, the structure of agricultural production has been becoming increasingly complex in the pastureland area during 2000 and 2007. These results also suggest the importance of factors other than agricultural production, such as government grants, including ‘Ecological Migration' and ‘Cropland to Forest and grass' policies.
