Measurement and Dynamic Trend Research on the Development Level of Rural Industry Integration in China

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

I think that the topic of the paper here presented – MEASUREMENT AND DYNAMIC TREND RESEARCH ON  THE DEVELOPMENT LEVEL OF RURAL INDUSTRY INTEGRATION IN CHINA - has some a little interest for publication in Agricultural journal. 

I would like to thank the authors for their contribution to the work on identifying development in rural industry in China. The topic is important, current and the manuscript is well written.

Especially since there is a visible increase in the overall level of integrated development of rural industry in various provinces of China, which was confirmed by the research results.

 

I have a minor comment and a suggestion for the authors.

 

Detailed comments are shown as follows:

- I congratulate the authors on their choice of research area.

- It is worth considering specifying the purpose of the study in the abstract (there is no clearly defined purpose).

- The study (research methodology) lacks a hypothesis(s) and a research problem.

- In my opinion, it is worth considering and supplementing the article with minor statistics in some parts of the study, e.g. indicating that the main "entities in the development of industrial integration of rural areas in China are leading enterprises, family farms, households and agricultural cooperatives" (indicate values). The addition would increase the value of the article.

- The conclusion section should be adapted such that it is totally supported by the obtained results. 

- Add recommendations for the continuation of your work, because the work presented is very interesting.

 

Considering the content of the article, the bibliography used, the research method used by the authors and the work performed, I recommend the work for acceptance after minor revisions.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

The English used is generally not bad. Minor editing of English language required.

Author Response

Dear Review Expert,

Hello and thank you very much for the valuable comments you have provided on our manuscript. Our team highly agrees with your points of view, and we have made detailed revisions to our manuscript based on your suggestions. I will now respond to each one accordingly:

1.Following your advice, we have added the research objective to the abstract. Namely: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the level of integrated rural industry development in China, identify problems that exist in the development process, and, by combining the analysis of relevant theories and practices of rural industry integration, propose strategies for enhancing the level of China's rural industry integration.

2.As our paper does not involve research hypotheses and testing, there is no section on research hypotheses. However, in accordance with your suggestion, we have completed the research content. Please refer to the highlighted sections 2.1 and 2.2 in the text for details.

3.Following your suggestion, we have added some statistical data to section 4.1 of the article to support the views expressed. That is, the main entities of integrated rural industry development in China generally include leading enterprises, family farms, and farmers' cooperatives, etc. As of 2022, there are 2.227 million farmers' cooperatives and 3.9 million family farms in China.

4.Following your suggestion, we have revised the conclusion section of our article so that it is fully supported by the obtained results.

5.Following your suggestion, we have summarized the limitations of our study in the final part of the conclusions section and offered prospects for future research directions. That is: The conclusions of this paper are confined to the measurement of the level of integrated rural industry development in China and its various provinces, as well as the dynamic trends of development. It does not further select specific cases for analysis or delve into the analysis of specific rural industry integration models and methods. Additionally, due to limitations related to data availability and comparability, there are certain deficiencies in the construction of the evaluation indicator system in this paper. These issues await further improvement in future research.

Thank you once again for the valuable feedback you have provided on our paper. Should you have any more thoughts or suggestions, please feel free to contact me at any time.

Best regards, The Authors.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

"it's easier to downgrade than to upgrade," – who does this quote belong to? ‘According to the 2020 Statistical Bulletin on National Economic and Social Development, approximately 560 million people reside in China's rural areas.’ – updates are needed, and the source be added to the reference list. ‘Ge Jihong, Wang Meng, and others (2022)’ – Jihong et al. (2022). Check for in-text citation style consistency throughout the manuscript. ‘proposed that the additive effect of rural industrial integration is manifested’ – ‘be’, not ‘is’. ‘Accelerated Integration within the Agricultural Industry: Many regions in China have integrated planting, breeding, and animal husbandry, evolving into new industry models such as ecological, circular, and precision agriculture. Rapid Transformation and Upgrading of Agricultural Product Processing: In 2020, over 2.24 million farmer cooperatives were established in China. Continuous Innovation in Agricultural Product Marketing Models: Relying on internet information technology, new rural e-commerce and culturally integrated marketing models have achieved rapid development. Thriving Leisure Agriculture and Rural Tourism: By the end of 2019, there were more than 300,000 leisure agricultural entities in China. Deep Integration and Agglomeration of the Agricultural Industry: Various regions of China are actively exploring new models of industrial organization.’ – what is the point for initial capitalization? ‘of integrated development of rural industries in China[21-22].’ ‘In the process of evaluating the level of rural industrial integration, establishing the measurement index system is the most crucial step[23]’, etc. – why using numbers for references, as you standardly use name + year? 10,000 yuan – specify this also in USD. The figures should be improved, unified as style, and thoroughly explained. ‘Insufficient Driving Force for Rural Industrial Integration’ – is this a subsection? The same for ‘Neglect of Agriculture's Fundamental Position in Integrated Development’, etc. It is unusual. Check for no or extra spaces throughout the manuscript. E.g., ‘integration.Break’, ‘development.Adjust’, ‘industries.Speed’, etc. Turn urges into proper sentences. E.g., ‘Follow the Basic Rules of Industrial Integration’, and all the subsequent instances: ‘Boost the driving force of integration from aspects of technology, entities, market, and government to promote deep integration of rural industries.Speed up innovation and application of agricultural technology, establish agricultural technology service platforms to provide continuous momentum for rural industrial integration.Break the various constraints of capital, technology, and talent faced by new business entities, allowing all types of business entities to play their best roles and promote staggered coordinated development.Adjust and optimize the agricultural industry structure, develop quality agricultural product production and processing, and actively guide consumers to form modern green consumption habits, promoting the trans- formation and upgrade of agricultural product consumption structures in the new era. Recognize the Regional Differences in China's Rural Industrial Integration Development: Implement targeted policy measures and choose development paths tailored to local conditions.’ Etc. Almost the entire section is constructed this way. The reference list is not properly edited.
The relationship between economic and sustainable management and decision support systems as regards development of rural industry integration has not been covered, and thus such sources can be consider:
Majerova, J.; Sroka, W.; Krizanova, A.; Gajanova, L.; Lazaroiu, G.; Nadanyiova, M. Sustainable Brand Management of Alimentary Goods. Sustainability 2020, 12, 556. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12020556

Lăzăroiu, G., Andronie, M., Uţă, C., and Hurloiu, I. (2019). “Trust Management in Organic Agriculture: Sustainable Consumption Behavior, Environmentally Conscious Purchase Intention, and Healthy Food Choices,” Frontiers in Public Health 7: 340. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2019.00340.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

‘proposed that the additive effect of rural industrial integration is manifested’ – ‘be’, not ‘is’. Turn urges into proper sentences. E.g., ‘Follow the Basic Rules of Industrial Integration’, and all the subsequent instances: ‘Boost the driving force of integration from aspects of technology, entities, market, and government to promote deep integration of rural industries.Speed up innovation and application of agricultural technology, establish agricultural technology service platforms to provide continuous momentum for rural industrial integration.Break the various constraints of capital, technology, and talent faced by new business entities, allowing all types of business entities to play their best roles and promote staggered coordinated development.Adjust and optimize the agricultural industry structure, develop quality agricultural product production and processing, and actively guide consumers to form modern green consumption habits, promoting the trans- formation and upgrade of agricultural product consumption structures in the new era. Recognize the Regional Differences in China's Rural Industrial Integration Development: Implement targeted policy measures and choose development paths tailored to local conditions.’ Etc. Almost the entire section is constructed this way.

Author Response

Dear Review Expert,

Hello and thank you very much for the valuable comments you have provided on our manuscript. Our team highly agrees with your points of view, and we have made detailed revisions to our manuscript based on your suggestions. I will now respond to each one accordingly:

1.Following your advice,we have revised the introduction of the paper to first briefly outline the importance of the thematic method, followed by an introduction of the specific details related to China. And we have reorganized all the references in the article and incorporated the latest research findings from the academic community.

2.Following your advice, we have standardized all the references in the document to the bracketed format, moving away from the name-year system for a more uniform presentation.

3.Following your advice, we have converted all instances of the Chinese Yuan in the text to US dollars for a more standardized presentation.

4.Following your advice, we have rewritten the sentences in the discussion section of the text to ensure they conform more closely to English expression and grammar.

5.Thank you for providing the references. We have carefully studied them and incorporated some of their core viewpoints into our writing. These references have also been added to the bibliography of our paper.

6.Following your advice, we have carefully checked the entire text for English expression and grammar, correcting any errors found.

Thank you once again for the valuable feedback you have provided on our paper. Should you have any more thoughts or suggestions, please feel free to contact me at any time.

Best regards, The Authors.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Dear Authors,

I find your manuscript relevant. Your have approached an interesting topic on a complex analysis of the level of integrated development in rural industries across China using an measurement index system.

I find your paper needs just some suggestions that you may find further on.

 

Key words: you should avoid using key words which are also in the title: Integration of rural industries;

You can use also: agricultural modernization, agricultural industrial chains and the methods used

Introduction:

At the beginning of introduction you should make a short presentation of the importance of the topic approach before going into  specific details about China.

For the following phrases, you should include several citations:

ʺA consensus has gradually emerged regarding the core of rural industrial integration. Specifically, such integration is not just the vertical extension of the agricultural industry chain but also its horizontal expansion, representing a multiplicative development model of the industry chainʺ (rows: 55-58).

ʺIn 2020, over 2.24 million farmer cooperatives were established in China. Continuous Innovation in Agricultural Product Marketing Models:…. ʺ (rows:  72-73)

ʺThriving Leisure Agriculture and Rural Tour- 75 ism: By the end of 2019, there were more than 300,000 leisure agricultural entities in Chinaʺ (rows:  75-76)

At the end of the introduction, you should formulate the research questions in relation with the aim of the study. You should succinctly explain the significance of your study.

Theoretical background

I missed a section (although it was short) concerning literature review. I mean, it would be enriching to find a section were you offer a slight review on the main literature on the issue you are studying.

Discussion

You should include in this section several information:

(1)     you can refer to the expected benefits and contribution of the study (methodologically and  implication for policy, practice);

(2)     the critical presentation of results should refer to the importance of the study for the development of agritourism; taking into consideration the results obtained, you can mention in which rural areas/ provinces from China the integration of rural industries can be a support for agritourism? You selected the manuscript to be evaluated under the Special Issue: Advances in Sustainable Agritourism Development.

(3)       the limitations of the study and future research.

Author Response

Dear Review Expert,

Hello and thank you very much for the valuable comments you have provided on our manuscript. Our team highly agrees with your points of view, and we have made detailed revisions to our manuscript based on your suggestions. I will now respond to each one accordingly:

1.Following your advice,we have reselected the keywords for the paper, replacing "rural industrial integration" with "agricultural modernization".

2.Following your advice,we have revised the introduction of the paper to first briefly outline the importance of the thematic method, followed by an introduction of the specific details related to China. Specifically: The integrated development of rural industries is an important means to modernize agriculture and plays a crucial role in promoting increased income for farmers and improved efficiency in agriculture. China is a traditional agricultural powerhouse. According to the 2022 Statistical Bulletin on National Economic and Social Development, approximately 490 million people reside in China's rural areas.

3.Following your advice, we have reorganized all the references in the article and incorporated the latest research findings from the academic community.

4.Following your advice, we have enriched the theoretical background section of the paper by incorporating the main viewpoints from the academic community and providing a brief review of the literature.

5.Following your advice, we have enhanced the conclusion section of the paper and included the limitations of our research as well as prospects for future studies. Specifically:However, the conclusions of this paper are limited to the measurement of the level of integrated rural industry development in China and its provinces and the dynamic development trend, without further selecting specific cases for analysis or examining specific rural industry integration models and methods. Moreover, due to the availability and comparability of data, there are certain deficiencies in the establishment of the evaluation indicator system in this paper, all of which await further improvement.

Thank you once again for the valuable feedback you have provided on our paper. Should you have any more thoughts or suggestions, please feel free to contact me at any time.

Best regards, The Authors.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 4 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The manuscript entitled "Measurement and dynamic trend research on the development level of rural industry integration in China" is moderately interested one. The authors were tried to provide valuable valuable data and information to give a good shape of this manuscript. However, the following problems are needed to be addressed for further processing:

1. Some more background information are needed to be addressed, which can identify the importance of this type of research and manuscript.

2. Many places have identified very good information, but there are a lack of references.

3.   The first line of page 3 showed Reference number 21-22. But before that, other references were absent. It seems that a page or few pieces of information were missed. 

4. The manuscript mostly relied on the Gini Coefficient Decomposition Method. But why this specific method is appropriate for this case is not recognized. So, the authors are suggested to explain this with proper references.

5. Figure 1 is not clear at all. Hence, it is advisable to add a clear figure. The same advice is also for Figure 2.

6. The discussion part is not well written and lacks of proper explanation in favor of the findings presented in the Results section. Why some regions are more advanced for their development and why some others are not so developed, and why in some areas the development was static or mobile - these causes behind these issues were not properly addressed in the discussion section.

7. The Conclusion has lack of identifying the concluding remarks with future policy related issues.  

 

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Comments on the Quality of English Language

The English used while writing this manuscript was not bad. Although, in some places, the sentences were bigger with unclear meaning. 

Author Response

Dear Review Expert,

Hello and thank you very much for the valuable comments you have provided on our manuscript. Our team highly agrees with your points of view, and we have made detailed revisions to our manuscript based on your suggestions. I will now respond to each one accordingly:

1.Following your advice, we have added more specific information about this study, specifically:The integrated development of rural industries is an important means to modernize agriculture and plays a crucial role in promoting increased income for farmers and improved efficiency in agriculture.

2.Following your advice, we have reorganized all the references in the article and incorporated the latest research findings from the academic community.

3.Same as above.

4.Following your advice, we have added the necessary explanations to clarify why the Gini coefficient was used as an indicator in the text. Specifically: The Dagum Gini coefficient compensates for the shortcomings of other methods used to measure regional disparities, which fail to address the issue of overlapping data in their analysis. It is better equipped to identify the sources of regional disparities.

5.Following your advice, we have remade Figures 1 and 2 to make them clearer.

6.Following your advice, we have revised and improved the discussion . Please refer to the highlighted sections in the text for details.

7.Following your advice, we have enhanced the conclusion section of the paper and included the limitations of our research as well as prospects for future studies. Specifically:However, the conclusions of this paper are limited to the measurement of the level of integrated rural industry development in China and its provinces and the dynamic development trend, without further selecting specific cases for analysis or examining specific rural industry integration models and methods. Moreover, due to the availability and comparability of data, there are certain deficiencies in the establishment of the evaluation indicator system in this paper, all of which await further improvement.

Thank you once again for the valuable feedback you have provided on our paper. Should you have any more thoughts or suggestions, please feel free to contact me at any time.

Best regards, The Authors.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The revised version is even more unclear. The authors were supposed to reply point-by-point to each specified issue. Instead, their comments are very general.

Author Response

Dear Sir/Madam,

Thank you very much，we will continue to revise and improve the paper until it meets the acceptance criteria.

Should you have any more thoughts or suggestions, please feel free to contact me at any time.

Best regards, The Authors.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 4 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

No comments, as the authors tried to address all the issues identified by the reviewer.  

Author Response

Dear Sir/Madam,

Thank you very much.

Should you have any more thoughts or suggestions, please feel free to contact me at any time.

Best regards, The Authors.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx