'One of the key features of China's agricultural reform since 1979 is the diversification of agricultural products. As a result of the policy, the share of traditional crop production declined while aquaculture has become the fastest growing agricultural sector. The small-scale household pond aquaculture production, which was almost non-existent before the reform, now plays a dominant role in terms -of fresh-water aquaculture output. The research studies this 'new' mode of economic development, especially the role of local government coordination during the transitional period.of the reform when market was incomplete, by means of a case study of small-scale household pond aquaculture in Shandong province based on data collected through fieldwork. The research uses both quantitative and qualitative analysis. Using household data .- survey across 20 to~ships in counties Weishan and Yutai in lining Prefecture (which is one of the most important fresh water aquaculture production bases in China), the research employed Cobb-Douglas production function to identify the source of growth for small-scale household pond production. The contribution of technological progress to the growth and farmers' increased income is also studied to provide a background knowledge that determined the coordination role of the local government. In order to assess this coordination role, the researcher uses primary interviews from fish farmers and government officials both at the national and the local level. The major findings of this thesis .provide empirical evidence on how China's decentralized government structure effectively facilitated a coordination role of local government to overcome market deficiency when the innovative reform programme, small-scale household pond aquaculture, was introduced into an incomplete market. Moreover, the research used the primary household data survey for an in-depth analysis of production economics for small-scale household production in combination with traditional crop production and identified the major sources for the growth, the opportunity and challenges facing the aquaculture industry. By providing micro evidence, the thesis contributes to the literature on China' economic reform.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:485343 |
| Date | January 2006 |
| Creators | Sun, Lei |
| Publisher | University of Reading |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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