An Empirical Analysis of Total Factor Productivity of Grain in Central ChinaBased on Provincial Panel Data from 2009 to 2018

The central region of China is an important region of grain production, which is of great significance to ensure the self-sufficiency of grain and promote the high-quality development of grain. This paper uses the DEA-Malmquist model to analyze the total factor productivity and its decomposition in six provinces of central China from the perspective of time and space. The outcome shows that in terms of time, the total factor productivity of grain in the central region fluctuates and rises during the years from 2009 to 2018, which belongs to “two wheel drive” of technical efficiency and technological progress, but the contribution of technical efficiency is greater. In terms of space, the total factor productivity of grain production in the six central provinces is quite different, and the driving factors in different provinces are also different. On this basis, from five aspects of improving the technical level of grain production of farmers, promoting the balanced development of grain production areas, giving full play to the technology spillover effect of high efficiency provinces, coping with various natural disasters, and encouraging agricultural science and technology innovation, the paper puts forward countermeasures and suggestions to improve the grain production efficiency in the central region.