Abstract: Based on the panel data of 11 provinces and cities in the Yangtze River Economic Belt from 2003 to 2019, the DEA data envelopment model and the Malmquist productivity index model, this paper studied the evolution and distribution characteristics of agricultural total factor productivity in the Yangtze River Economic Belt as a whole and in the eastern, central and southwestern regions from the perspective of time and space, and finally made an empirical analysis of its influencing factors. The results show that the total factor productivity of agriculture in the Yangtze River Economic Belt has been on an upward trend from 2003 to 2019, and it decreases from the east, the middle and the southwest in general. There is a certain gap between the three regions. The level of rural economic development and urbanization rate have a significant positive impact on the total factor productivity of agriculture in the Yangtze River Economic Belt. The level of opening up, fiscal expenditure on agriculture and the degree of environmental disaster have a significant negative impact on the total factor productivity of agriculture in the Yangtze River Economic Belt.

Key words: Yangtze River Economic Belt, agricultural total factor productivity, influencing factor