Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to examine the current issues surrounding the establishment of a rice production center in the Tohoku region under the policies reforming the rice industry through a case study on the actual condisions of rice producion in Akita Prefecture. The critical point to these issues is the restructuring of the agricultural cooperative's joint selling system. Akita Prefecture succeeded in establishing itself as a brand-rice production center after the second half of 1980's. Since then, production of brand-rice led to a monoculture, and a prefectural united agricultural cooparatives has taken responsibility for selling large lots of this brand-rice. The agricultural cooparative's joint selling system has been maintained in spite of the sharp fall in rice prices in the second half of 1990's under the enforced new rice policies. However, it is a current issue that a regional gap brought about the improving quality of rice is in conflict with such system. For the establishment of a new order in such a system, it is necessary that a prefectural united agricultural cooparative performs its duties as an organizer of a rice production center.
