Abstract
In recent years, there have been increasing instances of non-agricultural firms have entering into agricultural businesses. These non-agricultural firms mainly belong to the construction and food industries.
Previous studies on non-agricultural firms were based on case studies of their respective food and construction industry sectors.
We carried out a questionnaire survey of these sectors and clarified that were many differences between them according to the quantitative analysis of type III.
These differences can be summarized as such: (1) Food processing and distribution companies enter into agricultural businesses with the objective of improving their main businesses. Moreover, the forms of their entry into agriculture are likely to be direct and independent. (2) Buildings and civil engineering companies foray into agricultural businesses with the likely aim of diversifying and expanding their existing business, and (3) restaurants aim at contractual cultivation with farmers rather than direct entry into agriculture.
We think that these differences between the two sectors are related to the characteristics of their businesses and the conditions surrounding these sectors.
