Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to clarify the actual conditions of the liquidization of orchards under the progressively weakening labor structure based upon an interview survey of citrus farm households in Seiyo City, Ehime Prefecture. As a result of an actual condition survey, it was verified that there was a mobility of orchards from 12 out of 15 farm households during the period from 1991 to 2009, and that six farm households enlarged their farming scale. Four out of six farm households leased out their orchards under the conditions of decreasing farm workers and progressive aging. The lending and borrowing of lands under perennial crops are often carried out in the areas benefited from sprinklers, and generally the leasing pattern involves a lease without payment of rent. To conserve the areas benefited from sprinklers, the lessees responded to the request from the lending side if they have an extra labor force. The lease of an orchard causes the expenses of sprinkler costs that exceed the benefit and accelerate the fragmentation of orchards, not always leading to the improvement of profitability and operational efficiency
