1991 Volume 64 Issue 1 Pages 50-68
In this study, the regional conditions for the formation of areas in the broiler chicken industry have been elucidated through an examination of the area formation processes. Furthermore, the general conditions in production area formation have been investigated.
As for study areas, four areas were selected: the Tajima area in Hyogo and Fuji area in Shizuoka were chosen as the production areas located in the environs of metropolitan regions. While the Koyu area in Miyazaki and the northern area of Iwate were selected as case studies in the periphery.
General conditions found in the study for the formation of production area in the broiler chicken industry are as follows.
The first is the participation of business firms and agricultural cooperatives' groups as an integrator in the industry, setting up processing factories through which they developed competition to secure broiler chicken raising farms. Consequently, expanding the production area spatially, the farms gradually enlarged their sizes to carry out specialized management.
The second is the predominance of marginal farms on the less favored areas where the integrators moved. These marginal farms which did not have much alternative were willing to raise broiler chickens, expecting larger incomes and stable farm management.
The third is the special attributes of the broiler chicken industry such as a relatively small initial investment, and the simplicity of chicken raising which enables easy participation for even an unexperienced farm household, and an assurance of relatively high income.
