<p>Results of regional heterogeneity analysis.</p>

Against the backdrop of the ongoing transition of rural China from a “labor migrant economy” to an “entrepreneurial economy”, this study utilizes panel data covering 2005 counties nationwide in China during the period 2012–2022. Employing a Difference-in-Differences (DID) model integrated with a mediating effect approach, this study comprehensively examines the impact of the pilot hometown-return entrepreneurship policy on agricultural economic resilience and its intrinsic mechanisms of action. The results show that agricultural economic resilience exhibits a steady upward trend and significant spatial disparity, characterized by a spatial distribution pattern of “high in the east, low in the west, high in the north, and low in the south”. The pilot hometown-return entrepreneurship policy exerts a significantly positive effect on enhancing agricultural economic resilience, with this positive impact being more pronounced in western China and less substantial in eastern China. Mechanism analysis reveals that increasing farmers’ income and advancing the rationalization of the industrial structure are the key transmission channels through which the pilot hometown-return entrepreneurship policy enhances agricultural economic resilience. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the extent to which and the mechanisms through which the pilot hometown-return entrepreneurship policy enhances agricultural economic resilience. It is imperative for all regions to continuously strengthen policy support and guidance for returning farmers and enhance regional attractiveness in light of local conditions, thereby fostering the high-quality development of the agricultural economy.伴随中国乡村正处于从“劳务输出型经济”向“创业型经济”转型的时代背景下，本研究采用2012-2022年覆盖全国2005个县域的面板数据。本研究借助双重差分（Difference-in-Differences, DID）模型结合中介效应分析法，全面考察了返乡创业试点政策对农业经济韧性的影响及其内在作用机制。研究结果显示，农业经济韧性整体呈稳步上升趋势，且存在显著空间差异，呈现“东高西低、北高南低”的空间分布格局。返乡创业试点政策对提升农业经济韧性具有显著正向作用，且该正向影响在我国西部地区更为显著，东部地区则相对较弱。机制分析表明，提高农户收入水平与推动产业结构合理化，是返乡创业试点政策提升农业经济韧性的关键传导路径。上述研究结论有助于更深入地理解返乡创业试点政策提升农业经济韧性的作用程度与内在机制。各地区应因地制宜，持续强化对返乡农户的政策支持与引导，提升区域吸引力，以此推动农业经济高质量发展。