General comments The authors apply Latent Growth Curve Model (LGCM) approach to characterize the growth path of China’s agricultural labor productivity between 2000 and 2010 using a balanced panel data.
Data issue: The authors indicate their data source as “…an index of panel data on agricultural output and employment in the first sector of 287 prefectures from 2000 to 2010 is collected from the China city Statistical Yearbook (2001-2011)...” It is not clear what kind of index the authors are referring to. Are the annual agricultural output data are measured in their nominal value (at current price) or in real value (at constant price)? If it’s based on the real value then what kind of deflators are used in the estimation, national level or regional level since agricultural prices may vary across regions? Labor productivity needs to be measured using real value of agricultural output. Otherwise, it may reflect the changes in prices instead of productivity. This issue needs to be properly addressed.