2024 Volume 15 Issue 1 Pages 72-78
Among new farmers, farming discontinuation within a few years is prevalent due to various issues, including difficulty in securing farmland, insufficient technology adoption, low income, and weak branding. In recent years, the importance of recruitment and support services for new farmers has been gaining recognition. Therefore, studies that can provide insights and innovations to improve the business operations and resilience of each new farmer are relevant and timely. Tomato is the most common fruit vegetable consumed fresh or processed in Japan. For new farmers, tomatoes are considered one of the favored high-value commodities for production. In response to the needs of a young female new farmer who ventured into greenhouse tomato farming in H City, Tokyo, this study aims to clarify the consumption and purchasing behavior, satisfaction and brand familiarity of randomly selected tomato consumers. We conducted a consumer survey from May to June 2022. Although we had 470 respondents, we only utilized responses from 213 consumer-respondents to capture the characteristics and preferences of those who experienced buying tomatoes from the selected farm (NF Farm). Through this case study approach, the survey revealed that supermarkets (31%) were the main place of purchase for fresh tomatoes due to convenience, followed by direct stores (28%) and unmanned stores (17%) due to both convenience and good product quality. Results indicated that cherry tomatoes were the most widely consumed across all seasons, while summer was the season with highest consumption of all tomato types, with prices ranging between 101 JPY and 500 JPY (1 USD = 133.9 JPY). After only 5 years in business, NF Farm seemed to have gained a fan base. Unfortunately, 63.8% of consumer- respondents indicated no knowledge of the farm logo. Most related the farm to the name of the farmer. Thus, there is a need for NF Farm to re-evaluate its farm brand (e.g., logo, farm name, labeling) so that it will be properly recognized even by its long-time customers.
