Has the integration of fiscal agricultural funds promoted rural entrepreneurship?

Rural entrepreneurship can effectively promote economic development in rural areas. To explore the impact of the fiscal agricultural fund integration policy implemented since 2016 on rural entrepreneurship, this paper uses county-level panel data from 2014 to 2021, combined with the rural entrepreneurship index published by the Zhejiang University Enterprise Research Database, to conduct an empirical analysis. The findings reveal: First, the integration of fiscal agricultural funds significantly promotes rural entrepreneurship. This conclusion remains robust after conducting parallel trend tests, placebo tests, excluding samples from municipalities and provincial capitals, and PSM tests. Second, fiscal agricultural fund integration promotes rural entrepreneurship by enhancing infrastructure construction and providing credit support. Third, the impact of fiscal agricultural fund integration on rural entrepreneurship exhibits heterogeneity, with more significant effects observed in regions with higher internet usage levels, lower levels of agricultural modernization, and lower per capita disposable income.