Land consolidation and productivity in Chinese household crop production

A production function approach is used on data from 227 Chinese farm households to evaluate the effectiveness of land consolidation projects in the comprehensive agricultural development (CAD) program. Although the program did not reduce land fragmentation it has improved land quality and possibly facilitated adjustment of production structure. It has directly improved the productivity of household crop production, contributing 1.52% to crop output, and overall has been cost-effective. The grain self-sufficiency goal imposed a constraint on overall crop output equivalent to almost 15% of production. Further adjustments in household crop production structure are needed, along with government-sponsored improvements in infrastructure such as seen in the CAD program.