An analysis of intermediate inputs influencing the gross products of agriculture and its composition based on grey incidence analysis

Purpose – Taking Huangshan City as an example, the purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between gross products of agriculture (GPA), its main composition as well as their influential intermediate inputs, followed by some suggestion, in order to optimize agricultural industrial structure and distribute the ratio of various inputs in agriculture, farming, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery, so as to improve GPA of Huangshan City. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is characterized by an exploratory research by using the grey incidence analysis based on the grey systems theory initiated by Chinese professor Julong Deng. The original data processed in the model are quoted from the Statistical Yearbook of Huangshan City. Findings – This paper draws some important conclusions. First, in terms of large, intermediate inputs in animal husbandry production and fishery production are two important aspects which affect the growth potentiality of agricultural gross products in Huangshan City. This also reflects that the development potentialities of fishery and animal husbandry are larger. Second, the level of agricultural modernization is relatively low in Huangshan City, the growth of agricultural output relies on a large number of inputs such as fertilizers, pesticides, but it also reflects the agriculture production system has huge potentiality to increase in Huangshan City from the side. Third, agriculture producer services as a whole is still relatively weak in Huangshan City. It is difficult to adapt to the development of modern agriculture and agricultural modernization. Finally, the results show that intermediate inputs have different influence on farming, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery. Originality/value – Suggestion are also proposed to the related policy makers as follows: to vigorously develop animal husbandry and fishery in order to optimize agricultural industrial structure of Huangshan City, to improve agricultural modernization level, to speed up the service support system construction of agriculture production, to optimize the allocation of inputs in farming, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery reasonably.