The Present Situation and Problems of the Agricultural Cooperative in Tohoku

; the Support for the Farmer in the Sale Business

Abstract

A purpose of this paper is to examine how a farm co-op can make up for reduction of the production force of farmers through the use of distribution facilities in an example by the apple sale business of the Tsugaru Hiraka agricultural cooperative. In response to the change of the distribution by general merchandising store leadership, Tsugaru Hiraka agricultural cooperative is ascertaining the characteristic of the Aomori apple of the high storability, reducing the sorting labor at the farm, accumulating stock in formation of the high precision, realizing the timely shipment for the order. This innovation of the distribution system realize high price of apple, raises a share of the agricultural cooperative with the evaluation of the producer.