[Objective] Farmers' willingness and acceptable payment level for the agricultural and ecological compensation in Yongdeng County of Gansu Province were studied to provide basis for related agricultural ecological construction by the government in the future. [Methods] On the basis of questionnaire survey, the farmers' willingness and payment levels for the agricultural and ecological compensation in Yongdeng County were analyzed by the adoption of contingent valuation method(CVM). [Results] (1) The farmers' ecological cognition and compensation willingness were high in Yongdeng County. (2) The farmers who had the compensate willingness accounted for 87.76% of the total; the average acceptable agricultural ecological compensation payment level was up to 52.11 yuan per person every year. (3) Issues that influence the farmers' payment willingness for the agricultural ecological compensation ranked as followings: eduction >per capita annual net income >the importance of the ecological environment >the influence degree to oneself >the out-working days >environmental awareness >whether rehabilitate or not >age >location. [Conclusion] Farmers have strong payment willingness for the agricultural and ecological compensation in Yongdeng County, and their payment levels are associated with their actual situation and are influenced obviously by their personal cognition and per capita income.