Abstract: Based on the data of neighboring ethnic regions, including Hunan, Hubei, Chongqing, and Guizhou, this study investigates how targeted poverty alleviation policies affect the household consumption of poverty-stricken farmers. The result shows that:(1) The targeted poverty alleviation policy promotes the household consumption of poverty-stricken farmers who reside in the adjacent ethnic areas of Hunan, Hubei, Chongqing, and Guizhou. On the structure of consumption, the targeted poverty alleviation policies have increased the proportion of poverty-stricken households' expenditure in housing, transportation and communication, and decreased the proportion of their education and medical care expenditure. On types of consumption, compared with development consumption, the promotion of subsistence consumption is more obvious. For poverty alleviation policies, industrial employment poverty alleviation policies work the most important role, while insurance poverty alleviation works little. The above conclusions are still valid through quantile regression, placebo tests, and other methods. (2) The heterogeneity results show that the targeted poverty alleviation policies have different effects on poverty-stricken farmers of different regions, ethnicities, and incomes. (3) Further research shows that families impoverished due to illness, education and marginalization have benefited from a diverse range of poverty alleviation policies oriented to health, education and industrial employment, as evidenced by the improvement of their consumption level and life quality. This paper aims to provide a theoretical basis and practical support for consolidating and expanding the compelling connection between poverty alleviation achievements and rural revitalization and promoting the sustainable development of ethnic minority rural areas.

Key words: targeted poverty alleviation policies, poverty-stricken farmers, household consumption, policy effect