This paper estimates and decomposes the provincial agricultural TFP from 1978 to 2011 by DEA-Malmquist productivity index method, and observes carefully the temporal evolution of difference, regional distribution and group growth efficiency. The study finds that agricultural TFP growth is mainly determined by the rate of technological progress and technical efficiency, but the role of technical efficiency is limited. Agricultural TFP and technological progress index show cyclical changes, and technical efficiency index with inverse cycle stages. Agricultural TFP efficiency change is unbalanced. The difference is significant among provinces. Agricultural technical efficiency index is generally not high. Agricultural frontier technology progress is satisfied in the Central and Western regions. Growth effect of the main efficiency index is obvious in municipalities. The main efficiency index is obvious in divergence effect, but the trend of convergence effect and spillover effect is not significant. Besides the factor input, business model innovation is more important. So agricultural economic growth and sustainable development should be the path of the mode of two wheels drive in the future.