Characteristics of the Farm Land Transfer and the Formation of Large Scale Farmers in the Lower Iwaki River Area

Abstract

The lower Iwaki river area is known as a typical rice monoculture region, where the damp rice fields extend extensively and the seasonal labor emigration prevails.
Since the latter half of 1960s the private capital investment in small or mediumsize farming machinery has developed gradually, and in 1970 the policy of rice product regulation began. These factors have accelerated the exodus of farm labors.
In the second stage of the policy of rice product regulation after 1974, the portion of summer labor emigration has gradually increased. At the same time the farmers who had suspended farming began to release their farm lands to reduce or leave off farming. In this process some farmers with high capital equipment have the opportunities to obtain the released lands and enlarge their farming.
In 1971, the project of promoting the rationalization of land tenure and that of proper farm land transfer service were started to adjust the relation between land supply and demand. As one of the most remarkable results of these projects in the Tsugaru Plains, it would be pointed out that about 10 percent of whole paddy fields in Nakazato machi have transferecd in 7 years.
In this paper, the case of Nakazato machi is studied to analyze the factors that prescribe the spatial pattern of farm land transfer and characteristics of the farmers intending to enlarge their farming.
The results are as follows.
I. The farm land transfer by buying and selling generally prevails in Nakazato machi as well as the rest region of Tsugaru Plains. But in the former, the farm land transfer by lease has gradually increased. In these circumstances, the extension of farm land transfer is spatially limited within this district, and depends on social relations, especially kinship relation. This fact reveals that there exists very closed structure of land market.
II. We can point out two factors prescribing the farm land transfer. One is the policy of rice product regulation and other is the increase of population who works away from home. With respect to the first, we can point out the fact that the farmers who had decided to work in non-agriculture in the first stage of the policy have never return to work in agriculture in the second stage of the policy. As to the second factor, the change of temporary labor emigration pattern, that is, the increase of the laborers who work away from home both in summer and winter, has put the farmers away from agriculture.
III. As to the farmers intending to enlarge their farming, three common features are found out. 1) establishment of consistent medium-sized mechanization system. 2) concentration or accumulation of their own lands and tenancy lands. 3) expansion of farming scale by trusting of work. And the funds for farm land transfer might be raised from the institutional credit funds, but in many cases the income from the seasonal labor emigration or temporary employee or stable part-time jobs has been appropriated for that purpose. This fact would explain why the full-time farmers who had intended to enlarge their farming necessarily depend on non-agricultural income, whereas the stable part-time farmers who rarely depend on the agricultural income could enlarge their farming.