Abstract:
Improving the provision of agricultural socialized services is a crucial strategy for promoting the organic integration of smallholder farmers with modern agriculture, thereby achieving agricultural modernization. Based on survey data from 933 new agricultural business entities across 9 provinces (including autonomous regions) in China, this study analyzes the impact and mechanisms through which digital credit capacity influences the provision of agricultural socialized service among new agricultural business entities. Results indicate that: 1) The digital credit capacity of new agricultural business entities and their ability to provide agricultural socialized services require further enhancement. 2) Enhancing digital credit capacity has a statistically significant positive effect on the provision level of agricultural socialized services by new agricultural business entities. 3) Mechanism analysis reveals that improved digital credit capacity lowers financial entry thresholds, reinforces risk resilience, and enhances social network cohesion, jointly contributing to the expanded provision of agricultural socialized services. And 4) heterogeneity analysis shows that the effect of digital credit capacity on the provision of agricultural socialized service varies significantly across different scales and business structures, with a more pronounced effect on large- and medium-sized entities focusing on grain production, while the impact on small entities primarily engaged in non-grain farming is not significant. Therefore, this paper suggests comprehensively strengthening the digital credit capacity of new agricultural business entities. The provision of agricultural socialized services should be advanced through an integrated strategy that combines lowering access thresholds, enhancing risk control mechanisms, and promoting network connectivity. Furthermore, differentiated training and targeted support should be provided based on the heterogeneity of entities, thereby accelerating the progress of agricultural modernization.