Why is it said that elderly farming is inevitable?

-- A case study of n counties in central China

I. Current situation and characteristics

(1) Differentiation and characteristics of elderly farmers

Through interviews with 65 elderly people over 50 years old in 3 villages in Henan and Shandong, four agricultural cooperatives, and some middle-aged people under 50 who farm in the villages, a comparative analysis of elderly farming was conducted. Among them, 42 were male and 23 were female, and each elderly person belonged to a different farming household.

In terms of age groups, those between 50 and 60 years old accounted for 26%, those between 61 and 70 accounted for 61%, and those over 70 accounted for 13%.

In terms of health status, only 21% were in good health, 56% were in fair health, and 23% had health problems of varying degrees. Elderly people in poor health generally found agricultural production relatively strenuous.

In terms of education level, 65% had less than a primary school education, 21% had a junior high school education, and only 14% had a high school education or above. Those with a high school education or above were mostly retired cadres or village cadres. More than 80% of those engaged in agricultural production in the villages were elderly people over 50 years old, among whom those between 50 and 70 years old were the main group.

In short, the elderly have already become the main labor force in agricultural production in rural areas. Their health is generally fair, making it difficult for them to engage in heavy physical labor in cities, and their education level is relatively low, so they are also unsuited to the needs of technical work. Returning home to farm has become their only choice.

(2) Comparison of the scale and benefits of land cultivation

Among the 65 elderly people surveyed, 10% cultivated 1 to 3 mu of land. These elderly people were relatively old, generally over 65, no longer able to cultivate more land, and could only help their sons care for grandchildren.

56% of the elderly people cultivated 3 to 6 mu of land. Because their children had gone out to work, they not only needed to cultivate their own land, but also had to help their children cultivate land.

23% of the elderly people cultivated 6 to 10 mu of land. These elderly people were generally under 60 years old. In addition to cultivating their children's land, they had also transferred in some land from other households that had gone out to work.

There was also one elderly household that rented 50 mu of land. They generally hired workers when sowing and harvesting, and also needed to hire people for weeding, spraying, and irrigation. This elderly household had relatively high income, but also greater risk, and most of the cultivated land was planted with cash crops.

The area of land cultivated determined the living conditions of different elderly people. Those who cultivated less land generally had poorer family circumstances, partly due to poor health. With little land and no ability to go out to work, their quality of life was relatively poor.

Part of this was due to the stability of land contracting. Land had not been adjusted for decades, so that when the population increased, the land did not increase. The amount of land remained the same as more than ten years earlier. With little land and many people, land income could only maintain a family's basic living.

Farming households cultivating less than 3 mu of land were basically unable to maintain their family's quality of life. For farming households cultivating between 3 and 6 mu of land, the elderly people's health was generally above average, the young people went out to work, and their income was in the lower-middle range, but they could still maintain basic living.

For farming households cultivating more than 6 mu of land, both their health and age were in the best condition, their income was stable, and among young couples, one would stay at home to help the elderly take care of the land and the family. Their income was generally around 20,000 yuan.

(3) The management and income structure of elderly farming

The types of elderly farming operations were relatively diverse, including grain, vegetables, and poultry.

In terms of production structure, 70% of the elderly people mainly focused on grain cultivation, only 20% mainly grew vegetables, among whom 4 people were engaged full-time in vegetable cultivation, and 10% of the elderly people were engaged in breeding and livestock raising. Among all those surveyed, 69% grew grain to meet their own consumption while also having a surplus to give away and sell, and only 21% were engaged purely in commercial grain production.

In terms of income structure, 60% of income came from grain cultivation, 30% from vegetables or breeding, and 10% from odd jobs or other work income.

In one farming household, two elderly people cultivated 2.2 mu of paddy field and 2 mu of dry land. The paddy field mainly grew rice, and the output of 2.2 mu of paddy field was about 1,100 jin, of which 1,000 jin was sold and the rest was used for food. The dry land produced 100 jin of rapeseed, 2,000 jin of corn, and 50 jin of soybeans. Calculating rice at 1.4 yuan per jin, the income was about 1,400 yuan. Each year they also raised 3 pigs and sold 2, earning about 3,000 yuan. They also raised more than 20 chickens, ducks, and other poultry, and selling eggs or poultry brought in about 1,000 yuan a year. In this way, the annual farming and breeding income of the two elderly people would reach 5,000 yuan, and they basically did not need to buy grain or meat, which was enough to maintain a family's basic living.

(4) The management methods and application of technology in elderly farming

At present, elderly farming production mainly falls into three types: independent management, assistance from relatives and friends, and hired-labor management.

Among the surveyed farming households, 48 people managed independently, accounting for 60% of the total, 16 relied on assistance from relatives, friends, and neighbors in agricultural production, and 1 used hired labor. Because agricultural production is seasonal, with 3 months of farming a year, 3 months for the New Year, and another half year of slack farming season, elderly people generally were unwilling to hire workers if they were in good health, because labor is now very expensive, requiring not only meals but also payment. Elderly people generally were also unwilling to ask others for help. They believed that "asking others for help creates a debt of gratitude that will eventually have to be repaid; even when asking others for help, it is because of disasters or poor health."

In terms of the application of technology, 48% of the elderly people had simple agricultural machinery at home, such as agricultural tricycles and water pumps, but used them relatively little. 42% of the elderly people still relied on human labor and simple farm tools for agricultural production. These elderly people generally had relatively poor family circumstances and smaller areas of land.

10% of the elderly people's households not only had their own large machinery, but also needed to hire large machinery for harvesting during busy farming seasons. In the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, considering soil fertility and the sustainability of agricultural production, almost all elderly people were relatively cautious and used smaller amounts.