Abstract:

Differences of agricultural development in a typical region along the national highway 204 in Jiangsu Province were studied based on the indexes of agricultural production and its growth rate, the proportion of agriculture in GDP, agricultural industry structure and comparative advantage of agriculture. Below were the results. First, the disparity in overall agricultural development between the counties in the region was becoming larger over the past three decades. The growth rates of agricultural production displayed a pattern of "north-higher and south-lower". Second, the proportions of agricultural product to gross domestic product of all the counties in the region were descending over the past three decades with the largest descending extent in the three southern counties. The disparity in agricultural proportion between the counties in the region was becoming larger over the past three decades. Third, agricultural industry structure also showed remarkable changes in all the counties, thereinto, plant industry proportion was descending and fishery proportion was ascending. The disparity in planting industry proportion and in fishery proportion between the counties in the region was becoming larger over the past three decades. Fourth, the pattern of "north-higher and south-lower" in comparative advantage degree of agriculture in the region was intensified over the past three decades with the lowest degree in the three southern counties and the highest degree in the northern counties. The results revealed processes of regional disparity and differentiation in the region since the implementation of the reform and opening up policy. The agricultural production function was shrinking gradually during the processes in the southern area due to rapid industrialization and urbanization. In reverse, agricultural production function became more important than ever in the northern area as a traditional farming area.

Key words: agricultural development, regional differences, comparative advantage of agriculture, transect, Jiangsu Province