This has been particularly the case in coastal areas where off-farm work opportunities have been plentiful (Hoken, 2012). Nevertheless, the intensity of land transfer in China remains below that in advanced countries. There are significant differences across provinces, with a 2009-10 survey finding that while only 33% of households in Jiangxi province held a land certificate, 97% did in Gansu province (Ma et al., The government commenced a pilot programme in 2008 to provide certification of farmland contract rights to households, with 100 counties taking part by 2013.