Expansion of Abandoned Cultivated Land and Related Factors in a Marginal Hamlet in Minamata, Kumamoto Prefecture

Abstract

This study examined the expansion of abandoned cultivated land and factors related to that expansion in a marginal hamlet in hilly and mountainous areas by focusing on the farmers' decision making in agricultural management, with social changes in Japan as the background. At the same time, the effectiveness of direct payment for hilly and mountainous areas is examined. In view of the changes in agricultural management and land use, agricultural trends in the study area are divided into two periods. In the first period to the end of the 1980s, tree planting was conducted due to the rice production adjustment and mechanization of agriculture. In the second period from the 1990s, the retirement of principal farmers from agriculture increased and accelerated the expansion of cultivation abandonment. Although borrowing and lending of cultivated land increased in this period, they were not sufficient to prevent cultivation abandonment. The direct payment plays a certain role in sustaining agriculture. However, it has room for improvement in the area designation.