The Issues in Agricultural Development in Jinshan District, Shanghai, from the Perspectives of Labor and Mechanization

Located in the far southwestern outskirts of Shanghai, Jinshan District ranks relatively low in terms of economic scale among the various districts in Shanghai. Guided by policies such as "Rural Revitalization" and "Beautiful Countryside," the agriculture in Jinshan District has been steadily developing. However, there are still certain challenges and issues during its development. Both agricultural operators and practitioners exhibit an aging trend, and the skills and literacy of agricultural laborers need improvement. Additionally, through the analysis of agricultural operator data and agricultural production data in Jinshan District, Shanghai, and the comparison between the average level of Shanghai’s, it can be concluded that the current level of mechanization in Jinshan District is below the average level of agricultural mechanization in Shanghai. What account for these phenomena are the reluctance of younger labor force entering agriculture, bad agricultural labor force quality, low urbanization level and the small-scale operation. Eventually, We put forward some policy recommendations to decision-makers for the development of agriculture in Jinshan District such as expediting the urbanization level within the district, reallocating farming land, cultivating labor skills and transforming employment perspectives on agriculture.