Analysis of the Problems Existing in Current Rural Land Transfer
As the external environment in which the rural system operates changes, the land system can no longer meet the needs of rural development. The Third Plenary Session of the Seventeenth Central Committee adopted the "Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Several Major Issues Concerning Promoting Rural Reform and Development." The Decision pointed out: in accordance with the principles of legality, voluntariness and compensation, farmers are allowed to transfer land contractual management rights in the forms of subcontracting, leasing, exchange, transfer, and share cooperation, and to develop various forms of appropriate-scale operations. Rural land transfer is a further deepening of the reform of the rural land contracting system and is conducive to realizing the rational use of rural land resources. The transfer of rural labor is the premise of rural land transfer, and land transfer is the result of rural labor transfer. Therefore, analyzing the current problems of rural land transfer from the perspective of the transfer of rural surplus labor has a positive effect on further promoting agricultural land transfer.
1 The Relationship Between Rural Land Transfer and Rural Labor Transfer
1.1 Rural land transfer promotes labor transfer
China's human-land contradiction is prominent, and there is a large amount of surplus labor in rural areas. Allowing the transfer of land contractual management rights can free part of the rural labor force from agricultural production to engage in other industries or work in cities, and at the same time can also transfer land to operators and skilled farmers, thereby realizing the optimal allocation of rural labor according to market laws. First, through land transfer, scattered and fragmented land is concentrated for development and operation, which is conducive to improving the degree of mechanization and labor productivity in agricultural production. At the same time, the industrialized and large-scale operation of agriculture after land transfer is also an important channel for absorbing rural labor. Second, land transfer solves the problem of insufficient agricultural labor in the families of migrant workers. Migrant workers are separated from the land, and land transfer avoids the abandonment and extensive management of land, which is conducive to liberating farmers from the bondage of land and transferring them to the secondary and tertiary industries. Third, land transfer increases the income of migrant workers. Most land transfers do not change the land contractual management relationship, and migrant workers still retain land contractual management rights. This enables a large number of farmers to work outside with peace of mind, and land can serve as the last guarantee of livelihood and employment for migrant workers. Fourth, engaging in high-yield, high-value-added, labor-intensive agricultural production through land transfer can maximize the orderly transfer of rural labor. Especially when a large number of migrant workers return home and bring employment pressure to rural areas, labor-intensive agriculture can absorb a large amount of labor, which is conducive to addressing possible social unrest and stabilizing public sentiment under the circumstances of a sluggish export-oriented enterprise sector in China and mass unemployment among migrant workers.
1.2 The degree of standardization and marketization of rural land transfer restricts the smooth transfer of labor
The degree of standardization of land transfer is related to the clarity and stability of the rights and obligations of both parties to the land transfer. Standardized land transfer can avoid disputes and free migrant workers from worries. The marketization of land transfer is conducive to reducing transaction costs, increasing the returns from land transfer, and increasing opportunities for land transfer. However, at the present stage, a unified land transfer market has not yet formed in rural areas. Land transfer is still at a spontaneous stage and lacks effective market mechanisms and intermediary organizations for land transfer. Land transfer is mostly limited to narrow areas such as villages and townships, and the forms of transfer are relatively simple, making it difficult to transfer land on a larger scale and realize the optimal allocation of rural land resources. The transfer procedures are not standardized. In the processes of transfer, subcontracting, and leasing, no contracts are signed, and only oral agreements are made, resulting in unclear contracting relationships. Non-standard transfer contracting contracts harbor a large number of hidden dispute risks. Every time, the township and village governments have to spend certain human and material resources to mediate transfer disputes. The low degree of standardization and marketization of land transfer prevents migrant workers from working outside with peace of mind.
2 Difficulties and Existing Problems in Land Transfer
2.1 Farmers have little space for outward development, which restricts the transfer of rural surplus labor
First, the level of urbanization is not high, and the ability to absorb labor is limited. The level of urbanization reflects economic progress and the degree of social civilized development and can measure the development status of a country and region's society. Looking at the development history of countries around the world, with the development of industrialization and modernization, the labor population shifts in large numbers, and urbanization is an inevitable trend of social development. China's urbanization level is far below the world average, and its urbanization process is also far behind that of other countries at the same level of development. The level of urbanization is incompatible with the social and economic structure. Although the degree of lag before and after reform and opening up has decreased somewhat, it is still higher than 50%. Therefore, the lag in the level of urbanization leads to an insufficient supply of urban jobs and also affects the process of urbanization development. A level of urbanization that is too low highlights the dual economic characteristics of China, making it difficult for rural surplus labor to achieve full employment. Second, the educational level of the labor force is low, and the employment situation outside is not optimistic. Although China's rural labor force is huge in number, its occupational skills and educational level are relatively low, making it difficult to meet the demand of modern industries for workers. This causes migrant workers to be at a disadvantage in choosing industries and fields, with low income and unstable and intermittent employment.
2.2 Farmers' awareness of transfer is not strong
In the traditional concept of farming and management, land is the lifeblood on which farmers depend for survival and the only means of employment and survival for farmers. After some farmers engage in the secondary and tertiary industries, they still regard contracted land as "life-saving land" and "insurance land" for employment. Some farming households misunderstand the land transfer policy and believe that transferring land means losing contracting rights. Therefore, some farming households are neither willing to cultivate the land nor willing to give up contracting rights, and only transfer land among relatives, neighbors, and friends, making large-scale contiguous production and operation difficult and making industrial structural adjustment difficult to realize. Or they would rather leave the land idle and abandoned than lease it for the long term. Some farming households are unwilling to take in land even if their own farmland is not enough to cultivate. This concept seriously hinders the process of land transfer.
2.3 The agricultural land transfer service system is not sound
At present, most transfers of rural land contractual management rights are spontaneous transfers between farming households, mainly between neighbors, with the scope limited to within the village and very little cross-regional flow. As a result, farming households willing to transfer agricultural land out have difficulty finding transferees, and it is very difficult to form an effective communication mechanism between the supply and demand of agricultural land. The lack of intermediary service institutions related to agricultural land transfer, such as evaluation and consulting, notarization, and arbitration, also leads to a lack of a growth mechanism linked to the market for farmers' land transfer returns. Third, spontaneous land transfers between farming households are negotiated on their own without going through village collective organizations, making it difficult to clarify the rights, obligations, and responsibilities of the land operator after transfer. Even if a contract is signed, the contract format is not standardized, and it has not been reviewed, authenticated, or notarized by the relevant management institution. The content of the signed agricultural land transfer contract lacks legal effect in many respects, laying hidden dangers for possible future disputes over rights and interests.
2.4 The supply of agricultural technology extension falls short of demand
China's agricultural scale and industrialization have developed to a certain extent, but the overall level of agricultural technology application and other aspects is not high enough. After the scale of production expands, agricultural products must become commodities and be exchanged on the market. This requires mastering the production technology of agricultural products, increasing output, improving quality, and paying attention to packaging and other technologies. In some areas, the growth of land production and operation benefits is sluggish, resulting in land being less attractive to potential demanders. This directly affects the demand of large growers and breeders for transferred land, and agricultural structural adjustment is weak. It also leads to low returns in the land transfer process and affects the enthusiasm of land contractors to transfer land out.
3 Countermeasures and Suggestions for Promoting the Healthy Development of Rural Land Transfer
3.1 Accelerate the transfer of rural surplus labor
First, accelerate the pace of urbanization and continuously increase new jobs. Some scholars have pointed out through research that according to China's level of economic development, for every 1 percentage point increase in the level of urbanization, the number of employed persons can increase by more than 6%. The gradual transfer of rural surplus labor to modern economic sectors is an inevitable trend of industrialization and modernization. Industrial concentration is the premise of population concentration. If urbanization is to become an important channel for promoting rural labor transfer, it cannot do without the development of modern industries. In the process of cultivating urban industries, attention should be paid to vigorously developing labor-intensive industries, increasing new employment opportunities, and providing greater space for the transfer of rural surplus labor. Second, develop labor-intensive industries to absorb rural surplus labor. Highly labor-intensive industries can provide great space for rural labor employment. On the one hand, develop the tertiary industry. The tertiary industry is less affected by the objective environment and less disturbed by external factors. It has relative stability, is conducive to stable operation, and its requirements for the cultural and skill quality of labor are not as high as those of the secondary industry. This matches China's situation of a large rural labor force and low educational level, and is an effective way to absorb rural surplus labor employment. With the continuous improvement of the market economy system and social development, the accelerated development of the rural tertiary industry will drive the prosperity of commerce, tourism, culture and entertainment, catering, and other industries. On the other hand, develop labor-intensive agriculture, mainly referring to the horticultural industry (including fruits, flowers, etc.), the vegetable industry, and the livestock industry. Compared with small-scale agriculture characterized by cultivated-land-intensive crops (wheat, corn, etc.), it generally requires more labor. It can not only maximize the orderly transfer of rural labor, but also realize specialized and industrialized agricultural production and drive the development of related projects, extending the agricultural industrial chain, and ultimately achieving the goals of mobilizing farmers' enthusiasm, stimulating farmers' entrepreneurial enthusiasm, and absorbing a large amount of rural surplus labor.
3.2 Change farmers' concepts and awareness
Increase publicity efforts and make full use of radio, film, television, newspapers, rural grassroots publicity columns, slogans, banners, publicity vehicles, periodicals, wall charts, printed materials, and many other forms to enable the broad masses of rural cadres and farmers to fully understand and comprehend the "Rural Land Contracting Law." Promoting rural land transfer is important for realizing the rational flow and optimal allocation of rural production factors and for promoting rural economic development and increasing farmers' income. Increase policy support for land transfer and guide the broad masses of farmers and rural grassroots cadres to effectively change their concepts. At the same time, further improve the rural social security system, weaken the social security function of land, and solve farmers' worries. Accelerate the reform of the household registration system, promote the transfer of rural surplus labor, and reduce farmers' dependence on land.
3.3 Further improve the land transfer service system
First, the government should, on the basis of land rights confirmation and the filing of transfer contracts, establish an organization for managing and servicing the transfer of land contractual management rights, establish transfer archives, standardize transfer behavior, and provide free information, contract signing authentication, legal and policy consultation, dispute mediation, and other services for land transfer. Second, village-level organizations may establish land transfer service stations responsible for registering and reporting supply and demand information for land transfer. Each province should establish a comprehensive rural land property rights tangible electronic trading market or exchange with full coverage to achieve open and efficient transactions. Third, the marketization process of agricultural land transfer should be accelerated. According to the different conditions of each region, different forms of transfer such as leasing should be adopted, and a reasonable price formation and compensation mechanism should be established to reduce the current administrative flavor of national and local governments in the process of agricultural land transfer, cultivate the construction of specialized intermediary institutions engaged in agricultural land transfer, and vigorously strengthen the construction of the various economic and legal environments required for transfer.
3.4 Increase efforts to extend agricultural science and technology
With the acceleration of rural land transfer, the scale and industrialization of agriculture have developed greatly. However, compared with other industries, agriculture has a long production cycle, slow capital recovery, and faces great market risks and natural risks, while the average profit rate of agriculture is lower than that of other industries. Therefore, in the new stage of agricultural development, it is necessary to increase efforts to extend agricultural science and technology and gradually form a multi-channel scientific and technological investment system for the whole society, guided by fiscal appropriations, supported by credit from financial departments, with enterprise investment as the main body and social investment as a supplement. Raising the average profit rate and marginal benefits of agriculture and transforming agriculture into a profit-oriented industry will help enhance land's attractiveness to potential demanders and increase enthusiasm for land transfer.