A large number of farmers in their home country, lwanan, have recently been talking about new changes in the flow of land. In previous years, many people had transferred their home contracts to businesses for long periods of time, hoping that they would receive a stable rent and save themselves from foreign workers. In 2026, however, the central government introduced a more stringent policy on land migration, focusing on “de-food” and “non-farming” issues. The blind and long-duration path has become narrower, and many farmers have been left in a state of distress, unable to leave their land and having no time to grow. At a time of confusion, the new model of agricultural socialization services, such as “sitters in the field”, was rapidly spreading in the rural areas of guangxi, where farmers left their land to professional service organizations and retained their right to contract land on their own, allowing them to make steady gains without having to worry about field management. Data from the ministry of agriculture and rural development for the first quarter of 2026 show that there are more than 950,000 agricultural social services nationwide, more than 60 million small-scale farmers, and 45 per cent of local “sitters in the field” in guangxi, benefiting farmers in nanning, lon an, etc. The following, in conjunction with the latest land policy of 2026, authoritative data and real local cases, explains the core requirements of land flow norms in plain language, the advantages of the “sitters of the field” model and the practical process to help rural farmers to choose new ways to farm land and secure land revenues。
I. Upgrade of land flow norms: not to stop the flow, but to say goodbye to the blind and secure the red line of cultivated land
In 2026, the central authority regulated the flow of land, and many farmers mistakenly assumed that they would not be allowed to do so. At the heart of the problem was to correct the confusion that had arisen in the past and to put an end to the “de-cultivation” of arable land, which was not a one-size-fits-all ban on the flow, but to lead to a regular, orderly and moderate flow of land, both to secure the national food security floor and to safeguard the land rights and interests of farmers。
The new rules specify the three core red lines of land flow, which cannot be touched. First, the conversion of arable land to non-farm land is strictly prohibited, which can only be used for agricultural production and cannot be used to build plants, build houses, dig sands, etc., which is the bottom line requirement for securing the area of arable land. Secondly, the conversion of permanent basic agricultural land to non-food crops is strictly prohibited, and the flow of permanent basic agricultural land requires the cultivation of staples such as rice and wheat, and the non-replacement of fruit trees, trees, fish ponds, etc., to ensure the stability of food cultivation. Thirdly, the long-term and large-scale occupation of farm land by commercial and industrial capital is prohibited, the duration and size of the flow is regulated, and the long-term transformation of land use by low-cost enterprises is avoided, to the detriment of farmers ' long-term interests。
In terms of local implementation in guangxi, nanning and lon-an have completed a comprehensive inventory of land transfers in the territories of the bailiwick, and have been regulated in accordance with the law in respect of irregular contracts for the conversion of land and the long-term occupation of arable land. Following the discovery of a previous business in a town in lwanan county, which had moved 200 acres of arable land to grow saplings, the local agricultural and rural sector has urged enterprises to resume food cultivation, while at the same time providing guidance to farmers to re-regulate the contract of transfer to ensure compliance with cropland use. In the nanning region, a system of land-flow registration has been established simultaneously, and all land-transfer contracts must be processed through the rural sector of the township, without any failure to comply with the requirements of the new regulations and from the source。
While many farmers fear that the flow of norms will affect their own gains, it is clear at the same time that the legal rights of farmers to contract land and the flow of benefits will not be affected, but rather will not allow blind and irregular flows. For short-term, moderate land transfers, they can continue as long as their use is complied with, except that long-term low-cost land flows can no longer be transferred to businesses at will, as in the past, to avoid subsequent disputes and damage to interests。
What is the “sitter of the field” model? More flexible than the flow of land and a steady increase in rural households take it
The new model of agricultural socialization services, which was promoted by the state in 2026, is, in short, a model whereby farmers entrust farming, management, harvesting, etc., to professional agricultural service organizations, retain the right to contract their own land, and have the food harvested in their own hands. Farmers only have to pay for a small amount of services, amounting to a professional housekeeper for their own land, a model that is more flexible and secure than traditional land flows。
The “sitters of the field” model has three core advantages compared to traditional land flows and is a key reason why farmers choose it. First, land contracting rights remain in the hands of farmers without the risk of being diverted. Traditional land flows are the long-term transfer of land ownership to enterprises, and farmers are prone to disputes over their rights and interests once the business is poorly run or has changed the use of the land; while the “field nanny” provides only farming services, the land rights remain in the hands of farmers, who can reclaim their own farming at any time, without fear of land being misused and in full compliance with the 2026 land regulation policy. Second, gains are more secure, food harvests are channelled to farmers and incomes are higher. Land shifting farmers are able to earn only fixed rents, with a limited increase in rents, while the increase in food production under the “field nanny” model is fully accounted for by farmers, with local data from guangxi showing an average increase of 8 to 12 per cent in food acre production through the “field nanny” profession, and an annual income of $200 to $300 per acre higher than a mere flow, after deduction for service costs. Third, greater flexibility in the selection of services on an as-needed basis, without delaying work outside the home. Farmers can choose to host the whole process, from seed to harvest, without having to manage the whole process; they can also choose to have semi-custody, with only heavy work such as cropping, harvesting and so forth to service organizations, with responsibility for the management of the field themselves, both in terms of work outside the home and in terms of the benefits of land。
In guangxi, where the true case is strong, the migrant farmer huang, who works in the town of namang, longang county, has eight acres of water fields, which were previously transferred to the enterprise, renting $600 per acre per year. After the 2026 land regulations, he chose to trust the land entirely to local agricultural service cooperatives, which are responsible for farming, fertilizer, harvesting, drying, paying $350 per acre for services, raising rice acre production by 10 per cent, making the actual revenue of each acre more than 200 more than the passing rent, and making food available for sale and more flexible. Ms. Lee, a farmer in nanningyang city, chose a semi-hostage model, giving cropland and harvest to the “sitter of the field” who is responsible for field pest and disease control, taking care of the family and securing a steady food harvest, without worrying about planting。
Iii. How do we find and sign the “treasure of the field” service? Guangxi's local processing process is clear
In 2026, a well-established system of agricultural social services was set up in guangxi, nanning and lon-an. The process of finding “sitters in the field” for farmers, entering into contracts of trust is simple, transparent and transparent, and there is policy support to enable new farmers to do so once and for all in order to avoid stepping on pits。
As a first step, compliance “sitters” are identified through the formal channels to prepare the case. Agricultural service cooperatives, family farms, professional service companies, which have formal qualifications, professional equipment and mature service teams in the rural and rural sectors of the townships, are given priority. This can be done through three channels: first, through the village collective proposal, the village matching service organization, with transparent prices and reliable reputations; second, through the village agricultural service centre, by searching for a list of suitable clients, depending on the farming area of the family; and third, through the small program line of the guangxi agricultural social services platform, which provides access to the service organization's qualifications, scope of services, fees, online booking services, which can be accessed without a household。
The second step is to select the type of hosting, as required, and to clarify the content of the services and the rates charged. Farmers, depending on their circumstances, choose either full or semi-hosting: full-hosting is suitable for long-term workers who do not have the time to deal with the land. The services include arable land, seeding, fertilizing, irrigation, pest control, harvesting, drying and marketing; and semi-hosting is suitable for farmers who are able to balance part of the farm's work with individual services such as cropping, harvesting, pest control, etc. The rates are set by the guangxi rural sector, with an average of $300 to $380 per acre for total food crop hosting across the region in 2026, 50 to 150 per acre for semi-hosting individual services, lower than the cost of purchasing farm machines, fertilizers and labour by farmers themselves, and a government subsidy of $50 to $80 per acre for hosting services in some districts and lower actual payments by farmers。
In the third step, a contract of trusteeship is concluded, with clear lines of authority and responsibility, in order to safeguard its rights and interests. When a suitable “sitter of the field” is found, a written contract for hosting services must be concluded, specifying the size, location, content of the service, duration of the trust, the fee rate, food attribution, liability for default, etc., and avoiding subsequent disputes. Two contracts, one for farmers and one for service organizations, were submitted simultaneously to the village collective and village agricultural sector to ensure effective contract compliance. The rural and agricultural sector of lwanan county has produced a single contract template for hosting services, which is signed directly by farmers and does not allow them to use their own terms, thus further reducing the risk of contracting。
Practical reminders: before signing a contract, farmers are required to check the operating licence and documentation of the service organization; in the course of the service, they can monitor the quality of the service through the village collective or the commune department to ensure that the farming management is completed as agreed in the contract; after the harvest, the production is checked in a timely manner to ensure that the food is fully owned and that any problems are reported to the agricultural sector in a timely manner。
Concluding remarks
The central regulation of land flows in 2026, rather than cutting off farmers' income, led to the choice of a more secure and flexible approach to land tenure. The new model of “sitters in the field” agricultural socialization services, which upholds the red line of arable land and the right of farmers to contract land, and also addresses the problem of migrant farmers who “do not have access to land and are not afraid of risk”, has led to a win-win situation of “farmers' minds, land efficiency and food security”. For rural farmers, it is no longer necessary to address the issue of land migration and to find regular “field-sitters” to host the land, which is a new way out of rural land in 2026, both to secure work and to secure land gains。
Disclaimer: this document is based on the 2026 central land flow regulatory policy, the ministry of agriculture and rural affairs ' guidance on socialization services and the regulations for local implementation in guangxi. The rates and subsidy policies for service organizations vary slightly from one place to another, depending on the local rural agricultural sector circular。
Do you have a contract for land? Do you choose land to flow or to find a housekeeper? Which way do you think is better for rural farmers? Welcome to the comment area. Thanks for the support. See you tomorrow
