Digital Intelligence Technology and Farmers' Income Growth: Impact Effects, Mechanisms, and Policy Recommendations

Objective/Meaning In the era of the digital economy, the development of intelligent digital technologies provides new opportunities for increasing farmers’ income.

Methods/Procedures Using panel data from 31 provinces between 2012 and 2023 and constructing an econometric regression model, this study systematically examines the impact and mechanisms of intelligent digital technology development on farmers’ income growth.

Results/Conclusions The findings indicate that intelligent digital technologies can significantly increase rural residents’ disposable income, and these conclusions remain valid after multiple robustness checks. The income-enhancing effect is realized through two main channels: improving the efficiency of technology commercialization and cultivating new-quality agricultural productivity. The income-boosting effects of intelligent digital technologies exhibit significant heterogeneity, being more pronounced in the eastern regions with better digital infrastructure and in non-major grain-producing areas with diversified industrial structures. Intelligent digital technology serves as a crucial lever for stimulating rural income growth. Accordingly, policy recommendations are proposed including improving rural digital infrastructure, implementing regionally diversified empowerment strategies, deepening the integration of intelligent digital technologies across the entire agricultural value chain, and promoting cross-strait digital agricultural collaboration, offering practical guidance to support farmers’ income growth and rural revitalization.