Grain subsidy, liquidity constraints and food security—Impact of the grain subsidy program on the grain-sown areas in China

This study examined the effects of China’s grain subsidy program, the largest food self-sufficiency project of all developing countries, on grain-sown areas within the context of liquidity constraints. A large household-level panel was used to evaluate how the subsidy program affected the cultivation schedule of farm households through the relaxation of households’ liquidity constraints over a given period. Results suggest that, in general, the grain subsidy program improved farm households’ grain planting areas in liquidity-constrained households. This finding provides a more comprehensive understanding of the effects of China’s grain subsidy than previous studies have.