A comparative analysis, based on the data collected from 4 795 rural households in 31 provinces （au- tonomous regions, or municipalities）, has been conducted concerning the status quo and characteristics of the farm- ers. Its findings are as follows： the middle-aged makes up the majority of farmers and there is an increasing number of the aged and the women joining them; most of the farmers have a low education background~ and they have a very limited income out of growing crops and tend to downsize their farming gradually. With all the abov...
