Impact of grassland animal husbandry on rural labor in Qinglong County, Guizhou Province

A significant effects on rural labor by developing grassland animal husbandry were achieved in the Qinglong County based on a field survey research. First, it promoted surplus rural labor force freed from the traditional agriculture and adjusts rural employment structure. The survey results showed that the rural labor force engaged in traditional grain production reduced from 50.47% to 25.23%，while plantanimal production workforce increased from 5.30% to 27.73%. Second, it encouraged migrant workers to return home and participate in new rural construction. Data showed that the proportion of migrant farmers decreased by nearly 10%. Third, it increased the potential of women and the elderly to obtain wealth, women and the elderly accounted for 33% of the herding labor force. Last, it improved the employee skills, and thus cultivated a large number of new farmers. It changed the attitudes of farmer who raised livestock from passive to active, as 82.4% of farmer said that the grassland animal husbandry increased their desire to learn science and technology.