Differences in the Development and Diffusion Processes of Strawberry Varieties among Japanese Production Districts

Abstract

Since at least the 1970s, Japanese agricultural geographers and economists have recognized theimportance of innovation in explaining the mechanism of the formation of agricultural production districts and interregional competition based on agricultural location theory. However, they have not clarified the differences in the innovation process among agricultural production districts in detail. I aimed to address this issue by determining the differences in innovation processes among agricultural districts with the focus on R&D and the adoption and diffusion of new technologies specifically for strawberry varieties in Japan.

The results showed that large production districts tend to have more original varieties than smaller districts based on statistics compiled by the Japanese government. Data from the Tokyo Central Wholesale Market also showed that new varieties tend to spread more quickly in larger production districts than in smaller ones. Interview surveys conducted in some agricultural districts found that most farmers adopted an original variety in larger production districts. Farmers in these districts tended to outsource shipment of their products to agricultural cooperatives, which played an important role in extending new varieties by using decision strategies and providing information to farmers. Thus, the differences in innovation processes and performance among agricultural production districts reflect the size and accumulation of research, organization of farmers, and the influence of agricultural cooperatives.