The inevitable agriculture for the elderly

-- take n counties in central China as an example

I. current situation and characteristics

(1) the differentiation and characteristics of the elderly farming.

Through interviews with 65 elderly people over 50 years old, four agricultural cooperatives and some middle-aged people under 50 years old in 3 villages in Henan and Shandong, a comparative analysis was made on the farming of the elderly, including 42 males and 23 females. Each elderly person belongs to a different peasant household.

In terms of age, 26% of people aged between 50 and 60 years old, 61% between 61% and 70 years old, 13% of people over 70 years old.

In terms of health status, only 21% of them are in good health, 56% are in average condition, and 23% have varying degrees of physical problems. Elderly people with poor health are generally more difficult to engage in agricultural production.

In terms of educational level, 65% are below primary school level, 21% have junior high school level, only 14% are above senior high school level, and most of them are retired cadres or village cadres. More than 80% of the people engaged in agricultural production in the village are over the age of 50, mainly between the ages of 50 and 70.

In short, the elderly have become the main force of agricultural production in rural areas, their physical condition is general, it is difficult to engage in heavy manual labor in cities, the level of education is low, and do not meet the needs of technical work, returning to their hometown for farming has become the only choice.

(2) comparison of the scale and benefit of land planting

Among the 65 elderly people surveyed, 10% of them have cultivated land of 1 to 3 mu. These elderly people are too old, generally over 65 years old, to cultivate more land and can only help their sons take care of their grandchildren.

Fifty-six percent of the elderly grow 3000mu of land. As their children go out to work, they not only need to cultivate their own land, but also help their children to cultivate the land.

23% of the elderly have cultivated 610 mu of land, and these elderly people are generally under the age of 60. In addition to farming their children's land, they have also transferred some of the land of other migrant farmers.

There is also an old family that rents 50 mu of land. they usually hire workers when sowing and harvesting, as well as weeding, medicine, irrigation and other links. the income of this elderly family is relatively high, but the risk is also high, and most of the arable land is planted with cash crops.

The area of land planting determines the living conditions of different elderly people, and the elderly who cultivate less land are generally poor, partly due to poor physical condition, less land and can not go out to work, and the quality of life is poor.

Part of it is the stability of the land contract, the land has not been adjusted for decades, so that the population has increased but the land has not increased, the land is still the quantity of more than a decade ago, the land is small and the population is large, and the land income can only maintain the basic livelihood of the family.

Farmers whose farming quantity is less than 3 mu are basically unable to maintain the quality of family life. For farmers whose land is cultivated between 3 mu and 6 mu, the physical condition of the elderly is generally on the upper side, and young people go out to work, and their income belongs to the middle and lower reaches, but they can maintain a basic living.

Farmers who cultivate more than 6 mu of land, regardless of their health or age, are in the best condition and have a stable income, and one of the young couples will stay at home to help the elderly take care of the land and family, with an income of about 20,000 yuan.

(3) the management and income structure of agriculture for the elderly

The operation of agriculture for the elderly is rich, including grain, vegetables and poultry.

In terms of production structure, 70% of the elderly mainly grow grain, and only 20% of them grow vegetables, of which 4 are engaged in growing vegetables full-time, and 10% are engaged in aquaculture and animal husbandry. Among all the subjects surveyed, grain cultivation met their own consumption, 69% of them had both surplus and sale, and only 21% were simply engaged in commercial grain production.

In terms of income structure, 60% of the income comes from grain cultivation, 30% from vegetables or aquaculture, and 10% from sporadic helpers or other migrant workers.

In a peasant family, two old people planted 2.2 mu of paddy field and 2 mu of dry land. The paddy field mainly grows rice, and the yield of 2.2mu paddy field is about 1100 jin, of which 1000 jin is sold and the rest is used for food. 100 jin of rape, 2000 jin of corn and 50 jin of soybeans were planted in dry land. The income of rice is about 1400 yuan per jin. Three pigs are raised every year and two are sold each year, with an income of about 3000 yuan. There are also more than 20 chickens, ducks and other poultry, and the annual income from selling eggs or poultry is about 1000 yuan. In this way, the annual income of the two elderly people in farming will reach 5,000 yuan, and there is basically no need to buy food and meat, which is enough to maintain the basic livelihood of a family.

(4) the mode of operation and technical application of agriculture for the elderly

At present, the production of agriculture for the elderly is mainly divided into three types: independent management, assistance from relatives and friends, and employment management.

Among the farmers interviewed, 48 were self-employed, accounting for 60% of the total, 16 relied on relatives, friends and neighbors to assist in agricultural production, and 1 hired workers to operate. Due to the seasonality of agricultural production, there are three months of farming in a year, three months for the Lunar New year, and half a year of idle farming. If the elderly are in good health, they are generally reluctant to hire workers, because labor is now very expensive, not only to manage meals, but also to pay fees. The elderly are generally reluctant to ask for help. They think that "if you ask someone, you will owe a favor, and you will have to pay it back sooner or later. Even if you ask for help, it is because of disasters or when you are in poor health."

From the perspective of the use of technology, 48% of the elderly have simple agricultural machinery at home, such as agricultural tricycles, pumps, etc., but they use less. 42% of the elderly still rely on manpower and simple agricultural tools for agricultural production. The general family situation of these elderly people is relatively poor and the land area is relatively small.

10% of the elderly people not only have their own large machinery at home, but also need to hire large machinery to harvest when the farm is busy. In the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, considering the sustainability of land fertility and agricultural production, almost all the elderly are relatively cautious and use less.