Abstract:

Farmers are the microscopic subjects of agricultural production and management. Therefore, accurately measuring the economic benefits of plastic film recovery is of great significance for improving the enthusiasm of farmers for engaging in plastic film recovery. On the basis of the survey data of farmers from 591 households in the main cotton producing areas of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China, this study applied the propensity score matching method to measure the yield increase effect of the plastic film recovery, and further analyzed the effect of plastic film recovery on farmers’ profits based on the current cost of input. The research results reveal that: (1) The health status of the head of household, the propaganda, punishment and reward in government regulation, the degree of residual plastic film pollution in farmland and the recognition of the responsibility of the main body of pollution control have significant positive effects on farmers' participation in plastic film recovery; (2) Plastic film recovery increases farmers’ average seed cotton yield per mu by 12.49 kg after considering the self-selection and endogeneity of the sample farmers, and this average treatment effect is lower than the existing test results in scientific literature; (3) Under the current cotton price and the recovery subsidy policy, farmers can achieve an increase in net profit, but the cost of plastic film recycling machinery and the amount of subsidies have a greater impact on farmers’ new profits. On this basis, this article puts forward corresponding policy recommendations from the following three aspects: the environmental regulation of film recovery, the incentive policy and regulation, and the film recovery system.

Key words: plastic film recovery, cotton, farmers’ profits;, endogeneity, propensity score matching, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region