Accounting & Marketing

The rural social security system is a crucial safeguard for changing how agriculture is produced. This study examines how farmers' agricultural mechanization service (AMS) inputs are affected by the new rural pension insurance (NRPI). The study found that farmers' AMS inputs were significantly increased by NRPI using the CFPS waves from 2016 and 2018. For households with and without elderly farmers, participation in the NRPI could increase AMS inputs by 18.6% and 13.2%, respectively. NRPI and AMS inputs with elderly farmers were significantly mediated by grandchild care and labour off-farm transfer, which accounted for 13.72% and 9.13% of inputs, respectively. In addition, the mechanism tests indicate that, with a proportion value of 15.41 present, the crowding-out effect of labour off-farm transfer was a fundamental transmission mechanism for the NRPI to contribute to the increase in AMS inputs for families without elderly farmers. The heterogeneity analysis also showed that the NRPI had a greater impact on the AMS inputs of elderly farmers' households with grandchild care, a low percentage of non-agricultural labour transfer, and a high level of agricultural income. When there was a low proportion of non-agricultural labour transfer and when farmers had low levels of agricultural income, the NRPI's promotion effect on the investment in AMS inputs was more pronounced for households without elderly farmers. In the conclusion, references are provided for promoting AMS and sustainable agricultural development as well as enhancing NRPI. It is acknowledged that creating an agricultural mechanization service (AMS) is a significant step toward modernizing smallholder farmers. In the countryside, AMS has developed rapidly.

Under specific resource constraints, individuals or households will pursue utility maximization and then realize the optimal allocation of labour supply and leisure time, according to the time allocation theory, assuming economic rationality. The NRPI makes it easier for households with elderly farmers to increase their farmers' AMS input in two ways. The first is based on the crowding-in effect of taking care of grandchildren. The majority of elderly people in China live with their children or others nearby, ensuring frequent interactions with them. They help by taking care of their grandchildren and farming on the land of their children when they go to work. Concerning intergenerational care, a significant number of Chinese grandparents are participating in the care of their grandchildren. A survey revealed that 6% of grandparents in South Korea participated in intergenerational care. In the meantime, it was as high as 58%. Elderly parents assume responsibility for their grandchildren's care. It's also worth noting that older farmers over 60 who participate in NRPI spend a lot more time taking care of their grandchildren. While participation in NRPI can help grandparents spend more time with their grandchildren, it also reduces the amount of time they spend working in agriculture.