Study on forage products trade and its efficiency in China

Based on the import and export unbalance panel data of forage and forage seed from 1992 to 2016, using a stochastic frontier gravity model, we analyze the trade of forage products and its efficiency in China. The results showed that the import of forage products increased rapidly in recent years, while their export was maintained at low levels for a long time. Alfalfa hay was the main forage variety in the import market, and there were many types of imported forage seeds in China. The market concentration was high in the forage trade market, while forage seed was dispersive. Furthermore, there was a downward trend in forage products export efficiency in China and its trading partners, and the rate of descent of forage seed’s export efficiency was much faster than forage’s export efficiency. The trade efficiency of the forage was higher than that of the forage seed. China’s forage export efficiency was higher than that of its trading partners, while that of the forage seeds was the opposite. Moreover, the regional distribution of the trade efficiency of the forage products was unbalanced, and that of the forage seed was particularly prominent. In recent years, the efficiency of forage export from China to Korea was the highest, whereas the efficiency of forage seed export from China to Netherlands and USA were the highest. The efficiency of forage export from USA to China was the highest for China’s trading partners, and that of forage seed exports from Chile and USA to China were the highest.