The improvement of agricultural infrastructure is key to increasing food production in China. Based on provincial panel data from 2008 to 2022, the article explores the impact of agricultural infrastructure on food production increase and the mechanism of its action by applying systematic moment estimation and mediation effect modelling. The results show that, overall, the food production increase effect of agricultural infrastructure is 14.5 percent, with on‑farm water conservancy facilities remaining an important guarantee of increased food production, the contribution of digital infrastructure and agricultural power facilities increasing significantly, and rural transport facilities having the smallest food production increase effect. In terms of mechanisms of action,agricultural infrastructure contributes to increased food production by expanding the scale of cultivation, promoting technological advances and reducing the incidence of disasters. From the analysis of heterogeneity, there is a significant food production increase effect of agricultural infrastructure in the northern region, the main food production areas. In view of this, it should continue to increase investment in agricultural water conservancy facilities, improve digital infrastructure, promote the technical level of agricultural electricity and rural transport facilities, and plan the direction of agricultural infrastructure construction according to the local conditions.