Lingling Hou's research group published a paper in AJAE discussing the impact of sandstorms in northern China on agricultural production

Release date：2025/02/25　　Source： CCAP

Associate Professor  Lingling Hou from the China Center for Agricultural Policy, Peking University and her research team have published their latest research findings in the top agricultural economics journal American Journal of Agricultural Economics (AJAE). The study provides a quantitative analysis of the significant impact of sandstorms on winter wheat production in northern China. The paper is titled 'Impacts of Sandstorms on Wheat Yield in Northern China,' with the first author being PhD graduate Jue Du. The co-authors include Professor Yuanyuan Zhao from Beijing Forestry University and Associate Researcher Zhexi Zhang from the Rural Economic Research Center of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

Although the negative impact of sandstorms on socio-economic conditions is widely known, there is limited quantitative research on their effect on crop yields. The study, based on annual data from 288 winter wheat-producing counties in northern China between 2000 and 2007, found that the occurrence of sandstorms during the crop growing season led to a significant 14.8% decrease in the winter wheat yield in northern China. Specifically, for every additional hour of sandstorm, winter wheat yield decreased by 1.4%.

The study further revealed the mechanisms by which sandstorms affect agricultural production. An analysis based on farmer data showed that sandstorms not only directly caused a reduction in winter wheat yield, but also significantly influenced farmers' planting decisions, leading to a 1.4% decrease in the area planted with winter wheat. Additionally, in response to the impact of sandstorms, farmers increased their inputs of fertilizers and labor to compensate for the loss in crop yield, reflected in a 12.7% increase in fertilizer costs per unit area and an 8.0% growth in labor input.

Notably, the study found that timely irrigation could effectively mitigate the negative impact of sandstorms on crops, especially in regions with less rainfall. This finding provides an important basis for formulating agricultural policies to address sandstorms.

Paper citation: Jue Du, Lingling Hou, Yuanyuan Zhao, and Zhexi Zhang. 2025. Impacts of Sandstorms on Wheat Yield in Northern China. American Journal of Agricultural Economics.
Paper link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ajae.12532