The Impact of Digital Applications on Family Farm Income

The rapid development of the rural digital economy has emerged as a global phenomenon affecting both developed and developing countries, and China is no exception. Based on field survey data from 432 citrus family farms in Jiangxi Province in 2023, the mediating effect test and heterogeneity analysis are employed in this study to assess the impact of digital applications (DA) on family farm income (FFI). The results show that DA significantly increases FFI, with its enabling effect spanning the entire production chain from pre-production information acquisition to mid-production management and post-production marketing. Mechanism analysis indicates that DA enhances economic returns through three synergistic pathways: improving policy resource acquisition efficiency, promoting resource-efficient technology adoption, and expanding market sales channels. Heterogeneity analysis further shows that the income-enhancing effect of DA is more pronounced among farms with smaller scales, lower incomes, weaker social capital, and poorer infrastructure. These findings reflect inclusive “catch-up” and “substitution” effects, rather than the emergence of a digital divide. This study enriches the theoretical framework of digital agricultural empowerment and provides policy-relevant evidence for the formulation of targeted digital agriculture policies.