The Impact of Digital Infrastructure Construction on Agricultural Product Market Segmentation:A Quasi-Natural Experiment Based on the"Broadband China"Strategic Pilot Program
This study considers the"Broadband China"strategic pilot program as a quasi-natural experiment and employs a panel data set of 168 Chinese cities from 2010 to 2021.It applies a Time-varying Difference-in-Differences model to analyze the impact of digital infrastructure construction on agricultural product market segmentation and its heterogeneity The study finds that digital infrastructure construction intensifies the segmentation of agricultural product market.Compared with non-pilot cities,the segmentation index of agricultural product market in pilot cities approximately increases by 0.111.After a series of model validity and robustness tests,the conclusion still holds.Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the impact of digital infrastructure construction on the segmentation of agricultural markets exhibits heterogeneous characteristics regarding factors such as information search costs,logistics development levels,digital divide,and market concentration levels.The segmentation effect of digital infrastructure construction on agricultural market segmentation is primarily concentrated in regions with lower information search costs,higher initial levels of logistics development,more significant digital divide,and lower initial levels of market concentration.Based on these findings,this study has the following policy implications:it is supposed to establish a sound market monitoring system,promote the balanced development of digital infrastructure construction,facilitate the digital transformation of the logistics industry,implement extensive digital education and training programs,and strengthen the regulatory efforts against market monopolistic behaviors.
Digital Infrastructure ConstructionMarket SegmentationAgricultural ProductsDifference-in-Differences Model
万方数据
