It is worth noting that a comprehensive understanding of the development of small tractors should be maintained. The development trend of tractors shows both a reduction in small-sized tractors and an increase in medium and large-sized ones. It should also be noted that small-sized tractors remain the type with the largest number among the five horsepower segments of tractors in China. In 2016, they still reached 16.716 million units, ranking first among the five horsepower segments. Due to China's vast territory and complex national conditions, there are significant differences in natural and agricultural production conditions across regions. Despite the overall decreasing trend of small tractors nationwide, there are still some provinces, municipalities and regions where small tractors remain the mainstream and are continuing to increase.
They are an indispensable growth point in the development of agricultural mechanization. For instance, in 2016, the number of small tractors in eight provinces (municipalities and autonomous regions) across the country, namely Guangxi, Jiangxi, Gansu, Hunan, Hubei, Guizhou, Yunnan and Chongqing, increased compared with 2015. Guangxi and Jiangxi saw an annual increase of over 20,000 units, while Gansu and Hunan saw an annual increase of over 10,000 units (see Table 5). Moreover, during the period from 2012 to 2016 when the number of small tractors in China reached its peak in 2011 and continued to decline overall, the number of small tractors in Guangxi, Gansu, Hunan, Guizhou and Chongqing still maintained a continuous growth. Jiangxi, Hubei and Yunnan also basically maintained continuous growth, with only one year of decline.
It is evident that small tractors are still in urgent need and have great potential in these regions. In the future, support for the research and development and manufacturing of small tractors should focus on being compact, lightweight, reliable, intelligent and automated, so as to form Chinese characteristics and march towards the world with confidence. To implement the new development concepts of innovation, coordination, green development, openness and sharing, and to follow the principles of promoting agricultural mechanization by adapting measures to local conditions, being economically effective, ensuring safety and protecting the environment, it is necessary to attach great importance to the high-quality and innovative development of small tractors that are adapted to local conditions. In terms of the subsidy policy for the purchase of agricultural machinery, it is necessary to take into account the support for small tractors and agricultural machinery, give more autonomy to regions suitable for the development of small agricultural machinery, and achieve coordinated and shared development.
