Abstract
The growing area of MATSUMOTO farm is 50 hectares. We grow carrots, burdock root, and so on. A lot of products are sold directly to major supermarkets.
Because the information that we have to manage is increasing with the expansion of growing area, we have developed an information system that is designed to manage production information as well as incorporate a traceability system. In order to improve business operations, we obtained Japanese Agricultural Standards for Production Information Publications and GLOBALGAP. The purpose of obtaining Japanese Agricultural Standard for Production Information Publications is to increase the levels of information management and to disclosure production information. We utilize GLOBALGAP for the purpose of standardizing safety management.
We think that about 20 hectares is the optimum scale for outdoor-grown vegetable farming, because then a farmer can focuses not so much administrative tasks but rather on production operations. The inefficiencies associated with scale expansion result from staffs with low motivation when the number of staff is increasing. It is important for scale expansion in farming to standardize motivation of staff and work content.
