Changes of Multiple Cropping in Double Cropping Rice Area of Southern China and Its Policy Implications

In recent years,the area of cultivated land continues to decrease,and the demand for grain product is just contrary as a response to population and economic growth in China,so agricultural intensification becomes a key process to raise land productivity.Under this background,cropping frequency as one key indicator of agricultural intensity should become higher.But multi-cropping index of some provinces,especially in the major rice producing area of southern China,has shown a decreasing trend since 1998.Now it is a very common phenomenon to plant single late rice instead of double cropping rice in China.How many rice fields have been transferred from double cropping to single cropping? How much yield loss happens? What are the main influencing factors? It is necessary to answer these fundamental questions.We checked the dynamic characteristics based on agricultural statistical data and national cost-income data of agricultural products between 1998 and 2006.It was found that:(1) more than 174.4×104 ha of rice fields were transferred from double cropping to single cropping between 1998 and 2006,which was more serious than the situation media reported recently;(2) due to the change of multi-cropping index of rice fields,China's rice planting area decreased by 13%,total paddy output by 5.4%,and total grain output by 2%.The phenomena were particularly serious in the developed provinces of south China,such as Fujian,Zhejiang and Guangdong provinces;and(3) the phenomena are mainly ascribed to two main factors,agricultural labour shortage due to the rising wage and low income of double cropping rice.In the end of this paper,the authors claim that the following points should be emphasized in laying and implementing agricultural courses in our country:(1) grain subsidies should be embodied and detailed to guarantee that grain farmers get the subsidies,but not land contractors;(2) the prices of early rice and double-cropping late rice should be uplifted,which can directly increase the benefit and cropping enthusiasm of grain farmers;and(3) agricultural science and technology extension ability should also be strengthened.